Last night the theatre community was in shockwaves with the announcement that after three and a half years, & Juliet would be closing on March 25th 2023. With assurances from the cast that everyone was informed about the closure, people grouped together to mourn the loss of this West End hit. As my own way of grieving, I’m taking a trip down memory lane of my history with & Juliet and looking forward to what’s coming in the future.
My & Juliet Story
I first saw & Juliet in October 2021 during a London mini break I used to make up for lost time on the shows I missed pre-lockdown. It was my first two-show-day and certainly an eventful one. Not only because I saw the incredible Grace Mouat as Juliet, but because of a technical snag. Oliver Tompsett’s mic wasn’t working as he entered through the trap door for Larger Than Life, leading the crew to escort everyone offstage.
After assurances that the show would go ahead, we waited another half hour. When it restarted, the ensemble (especially Kirstie Skivington) immediately won me over by how they laughed off and acknowledged the do-over! In the next two and a half hours, I was won over by & Juliet’s humour, heart and fun with amazing covers that, dare I say, were better than the originals. At this performance the cast featured:
- Juliet: Grace Mouat
- Anne Hathaway: Cassidy Janson
- William Shakespeare: Oliver Tompsett
- Angelique: Melanie La Barrie
- Lance: Ivan de Freitas
- Romeo: Alex Tranter (I wasn’t aware of Jordan Luke Gage’s popularity so I wasn’t fussed unlike some people at this performance)
- May: Alex Thomas Smith
- Francois: Tim Mahendran
The second time was Christmas Eve 2021. I had a half day at work with nothing planned, so I bought a rush ticket for the matinee. As that was during the Omicron surge, I went with my COVID emergency kit: antibacterial wipes, hand sanitiser, face mask, face visor, gloves, the lot. During this festive performance, the cast I saw included:
- Juliet: Miriam-Teak Lee
- Anne Hathaway: Cassidy Janson
- William Shakespeare: Oliver Tompsett
- Angelique: Melanie La Barrie
- Lance: David Bedella
- Romeo: Jordan Luke Gage
- May: Nathan Lorainey-Dineen AKA Lordin
- Francois: Tim Mahendran
The third time was after a day at my work’s London office. I decided to take the opportunity to see a show and it turned out Shaftesbury Theatre was around the corner from the office. Carrying my laptop bag and wearing my work clothes, I had another fun solo night out. It was a special one because it was my first full stage door experience since pre-pandemic. As a show where the ensemble is equally loved as the principals, this gave me a vibe of the & Juliet community as one that was welcome to all with some of the warmest cast members I’ve met. The cast featured:
- Juliet: Miriam-Teak Lee
- Anne Hathaway: Cassidy Janson
- William Shakespeare: Alex Tranter
- Angelique: Keala Settle
- Lance: Julio D’Silva
- Romeo: Tom Frances
- May: Alex Thomas Smith
- Francois: Tim Mahendran
The fourth time was less than 24 hours later. Why? I heard rumours the matinee was Grace Mouat’s final Juliet show. When it was confirmed, I got a rush ticket and went again as a show of support to such an amazing Juliet who is now one of my favourite musical theatre performers.
- Juliet: Grace Mouat
- Anne Hathaway: Cassidy Janson
- William Shakespeare: Alex Tranter
- Angelique: Keala Settle
- Lance: Julio D’Silva
- Romeo: Tom Frances
- May: Alex Thomas Smith
- Francois: Tim Mahendran
Round five was my birthday week in July (don’t lie, we all have one) and I specifically chose a Friday matinee to see Zara Macintosh’s Juliet. Along with Zara’s incredible performance, this one stuck out to me because of the cast’s ability to make the show still feel slick and grand with a reduced ensemble. The cast in this performance featured:
- Juliet: Zara Macintosh
- Anne Hathaway: Cassidy Janson
- William Shakespeare: Oliver Tompsett
- Angelique: Cassandra Lee
- Lance: Julio D’Silva
- Romeo: Carl Man
- May: Jaz Terry
- Francois: Christian Maynard
My most recent & Juliet visit was the August sing-along performance. To avoid repeating my thoughts, you can read my review of it. Spoiler alert: I lost my voice! The cast in this performance featured:
- Juliet: Miriam-Teak Lee
- Anne Hathaway: Collette Guitart
- William Shakespeare: Alex Tranter
- Angelique: Malinda Parris
- Lance: Ivan de Freitas
- Romeo: Tom Frances
- May: Alex Thomas Smith
- Francois: Tim Mahendran
So long, not goodbye & Juliet
It’s sad to hear when a show I adore is closing, especially one as unabashedly fun as & Juliet. It’s one of the most diverse shows I’ve seen in the West End that became my go-to if I needed a smile on my face and I hope the next show at the Shaftesbury Theatre will follow on with themes that reflect today’s inclusive society. It may be done on the West End, but there’s still a lot more to look forward to with & Juliet that softens the blow.
The Broadway production will be opening soon and it’s amazing to see what was a niche UK show make such an achievement (I plan on going to New York next year and I’ll definitely get my & Juliet fix over there). An Australian production is also coming up next year along with UK and European tours which were announced with the closure.
I think the UK tour after a West End run is the right move for & Juliet as a lot of shows including Anything Goes, The Drifters Girl, Waitress and My Fair Lady have taken that route with success. I’m personally frustrated as touring shows don’t travel to my hometown, but with many people struggling to afford London travel and ticket prices during a cost of living crisis, it’s great that they can see West End hits closer to home. With & Juliet, I don’t care which city I’ll have to travel to!
What will be the next show at the Shaftesbury Theatre?
I’ve been curious about what will replace & Juliet and there’s one show I heard a few months that was planning to move into the Shaftesbury Theatre. With & Juliet closing in March instead of until September, I’m leaning towards it being all but in the bag. All I’ll say for the rumoured production is this: & Juliet started its life in Manchester and its rumoured replacement has finished a run in that same city. if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then I hope I haven’t raised your doubts.
Have you seen & Juliet and if so, what’s your favourite thing about it? Will you see it when it comes to a city near you? Be sure to comment below!
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