It’s no secret to regular Overstudies listeners that we’re big fans of & Juliet. The music, the costumes, the representation, the story – there’s so much that we adore about the show. But what exactly is it that makes this show so special?
Picture the scene. It’s September 2019. There’s no looming threat of a global pandemic, no one has even heard of Coronavirus, and Take Me Back to London by Ed Sheeran ft Stormzy is number one in the UK charts. Life is pretty normal. There’s even a brand-new musical getting its world premiere in Manchester…
Little did I know that when I accepted the offer of a free ticket to see a fun, pop-based jukebox musical that I would be witnessing the first round of performances of a show that would go on to take the West End, and the world, by storm. A friend of mine had been to see the show a few weeks prior to offering me a ticket and had been raving about it in the office for weeks, practically begging me to make sure I get tickets to see this retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I was intrigued but in the midst of house hunting, so was very distracted by life in general. Then, one Thursday night I got a text from Resh offering me a free ticket for the next evening: I just thought “you know, why not?”
I’ve never been more pleased to have taken a chance on a show.
I knew that I was going to enjoy the show just from what I’d been told before seeing it. I’m a huge fan of Shakespeare and any pop song released within the last 30 years, but I was not expecting to love the show anywhere near as much as I did. It really is something that reignited my love for musical theatre, which I’d been drifting in and out of throughout my twenties. There’s a lot of hate for jukebox musicals sometimes, but I truly believe that & Juliet is the best of the best and what every future musical should aspire to be.
Manchester Opera House is a truly stunning theatre for those who have never visited and has a history of premiering some of the biggest musicals to transfer to the West End in the last few years. & Juliet is just one of many big name shows that have tested the waters with northern audiences before moving down south. Boasting notable premieres such as the European debut of West Side Story, 9 to 5, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, Back to the Future and most recently Mrs Doubtfire, it seems like many of the productions that choose Manchester as their first outing go on to have very successful runs in the UK.
For those not aware of what & Juliet is all about, let me give you a short summary of the plot. We are transported into the world of William Shakespeare, who is about to premiere his brand-new play Romeo and Juliet. There’s just one problem – he’s not finished writing it yet. His wife, Anne Hathaway, hears his plan for the ending of the show and takes it upon herself to rewrite it, asking the question “what would happen if Juliet didn’t kill herself?”. We then follow her journey of self-discovery in learning how to stand on her own two feet, with a lot of twist and turns along the way. All of this is set to a soundtrack of some of the most popular songs from the last 30 years, selected from the work of Swedish pop song writer Max Martin.
After a successful run in Manchester, & Juliet transferred to its current home at the Shaftesbury Theatre and opened in November 2019. Sadly, the first year and a bit of its life on the West End was disrupted due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop the show coming back with a bang on 24 September 2021. The anticipation for this show was obvious – even at that year’s West End Live festival, where we were treated to performances of two of the hit songs featured in the show, it was clear that everyone was ready for an injection of pop and glitter on the West End.
I took Charley for a taster of & Juliet on 5 October 2021, the second show we’d seen together. She’d seen my excitement at West End Live and heard me talking about how much I’d loved seeing the show in Manchester, so was semi-sold on the show before we’d even set foot in the theatre. A birthday trip from myself to myself, I was incredibly excited about seeing this show again but also a little nervous. I know that jukebox musicals are not everyone’s cup of tea and can sometimes seem cheesy. But I don’t think there’s any way that & Juliet can come across as anything else but a fun and exciting night out for everyone involved.
I’m not going to go into a full review of the show itself, because this would turn into an essay, so I really want to talk about some of the reasons why & Juliet truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
Firstly, I think my favourite thing about & Juliet is that it’s not ashamed to be a jukebox musical. One of my favourite parts of the marketing for the Manchester run of the show was the tagline – ‘If pop music be the food of love, play on’. While not a direct quote from Romeo and Juliet itself, and instead from Twelfth Night, this perfectly embraces the pop element of the show itself. This tagline has since been dropped (possibly due to the fact that it’s not from Romeo and Juliet) but has since been replaced with marketing that emphasises the music featured in the show.
It’s not just the marketing that embraces it, but the show itself is dominated by hit after hit but it never feels forced. Given the extensive back catalogue of source material that could have been used in the show, the songs have been carefully selected so that they contribute to the progression of the narrative rather than feeling forced into the flow of the show. This is better demonstrated by some numbers over others – ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’, ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely’ and ‘Fucking Perfect’ feature key moments in the progression of the story unfolding on stage. But then, in complete contrast, we have numbers like ‘Everybody’ that contribute, quite frankly, nothing to the narrative but function as the perfect second act comedy number. The blend of musical theatre tropes and pop songs doesn’t always mesh as well as we want it to, but I can’t think of another show that does it quite like & Juliet.
Secondly, the way that & Juliet handles gender and sexuality is so wonderfully complex but beautifully done throughout that I don’t think I can summarise my thoughts in a single paragraph or two. It’s something Charley and I have discussed numerous times on Overstudies: On-Air! and no doubt will continue to discuss the more we talk about the show. There’s so many layers to gender identity and sexuality within the show that even I’m still discovering after seeing it five times now.
On the surface, & Juliet is a feminist retelling of Romeo and Juliet that studies Juliet’s own agency and gives her back her power and voice in a story where she can be seen to have very little. But this is just one way that the show discusses gender. The character of May, who is firmly communicated as being non-binary throughout the show, sees such a journey of growth throughout the narrative. It’s also one of the first instances I can remember where a clearly non-binary character has been such a huge presence on a show of this scale. It brings a refreshing angle to the character of May, and really does solidify & Juliet as a musical for the modern age. There are no moments where May feels like a pastiche or a comedic aspect of the show, and although some audience members still view it this way, the reaction from cast, crew and FOH team members is to reiterate that & Juliet is a safe space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community and have dealt with problem causers without question.
Thirdly, this show does not mess around when it comes to representation and is very sensitive in its casting of characters where it needs to be. Having a show on the West End that has a cast made up of primarily people of colour, where the race of the characters is never once a part of the actual narrative, puts many others to shame. & Juliet does inclusion in a way that others don’t seem to, in that it isn’t used as a marketing angle or made into a big deal. It just is. And because of this, we’ve seen the careers of some truly talented performers be launched. & Juliet also makes a point of ensuring that characters are cast in a respectful way – again with the character of May we have seen predominantly openly non-binary individuals perform in and cover the role. There’s been some exceptions, but the care around representing a community that often is underrepresented must be applauded.
Finally, there is just a charm to this show that I can’t quite put into words. If you’re having a bad day, it will pick you right up. If you’re having a good day, it will bring the biggest smile to your face. I’ve been to see & Juliet under some strange circumstances over the last year, and every time it’s been exactly the mood boost, I’ve needed. The energy that flows from the stage right from the pre-show ensemble banter through to the final curtain call is something I wish I could bottle up for when I’m having a bad day. It is clear that everyone on that stage truly loves being in the show, with a great number of them staying on for their second contract. We’ve even seen the absolute powerhouse that is Melanie La Barrie, who plays Angelique/Nurse, take on the role not just in both UK productions but also in the Toronto and Broadway stagings. There’s something really wonderful about knowing how much the performers in a show are loving every second of their performance as much as you are.
I think this is why & Juliet is going to have an incredibly long life ahead of it, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it ends up in the same hall of fame that other jukebox musicals like Mamma Mia have found themselves in. Not only does it continue to sell out in the West End, the show has also gone international with a North American premiere in Toronto, a Broadway opening on 28 October, and an Australian premiere in February 2023. I already know that this show is going to be incredibly well received on Broadway (even if it’s going to have an American Shakespeare, which I’m still not sure how I feel about!) and I can’t wait for the Broadway cast recording to be released. Every person I have introduced the show to has fallen in love with it instantly, and I truly can’t wait to see what is in store next for this show.
If you’ve not been to see & Juliet yet why not? The show is currently booking through until March 2023, with tickets available directly from the Shaftesbury Theatre website or from https://www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk/
