Review: &Juliet is a Must-see Show and Gets Standing Ovation

We started laughing a few minutes into &Juliet and didn’t stop – this was a hilarious, fun and joyous production that left us wanting more.

The musical turns the traditional love story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on its head, and poses the conundrum, what if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo – what would she do instead?

The curtain is up as you enter the New Theatre, Oxford, and as we are getting seated the cast come out onto the stage one by one, wave to the audience, chat, practise dance moves… and then it starts with a bang.

Cue Shakespeare’s latest play, Romeo and Juliet ready to roll, his fan club cheering ‘we love you Will’ and his wife Anne Hathaway, with a rare night away from the kids, visiting him in the city.But Anne is not the demure wife we may have first thought, she declares the ending of the play “shit” and instead suggests Juliet doesn’t kill herself – and quips ‘she’s only had one boyfriend’ after all. Shakespeare is then challenged whether he’s a ‘strong enough man to write a story about a strong woman’? What happens next is fast-paced, high-octane duke box musical with hit song after hit song weaved into its of ‘what if’ narrative.

After Romeo’s death, Juliet’s mother threatens to send her to a nunnery, but in order to escape, she and her best friend May (Jordan Broatch) decide to head to Paris – well with a little push from Anne, who joins in with the story and enjoys reliving her youth. How will it all end? Will Juliet find love again? What of Anne?

We don’t want to give anything away, except to say, the ending was perfect!

Television doctor Dr Ranj Singh made his musical theatre debut playing the role of Lance. You really wouldn’t have thought so, because he was so comfortable on that stage injecting a little je ne sais quoi to that role! We also loved X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, who played as Shakespeare, and the three of the leading ladies Gerardine Sacdalan who was Juliet, Lara Denning who played Anne, and Sandara Marvin who was Angelique, all three were awesome.

The score included classic pop hits Britney Spears’ ‘…Baby One More Time’, Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ and chart toppers ‘Since U Been Gone’, ‘It’s My Life’, ‘I Want It That Way’, and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ all sung impeccably.

The costumes are great, a nod to Shakespearean times, but with a modern twist which wouldn’t be out of place today! The set was fabulous – watch out for dancing on the chandelier, the arrival in Paris, and the wonderful carriage they travelled there in.

It’s no surprise this show is a hit, it was created by David West Read, the Emmy-winning writer from ‘Schitt’s Creek’. But it did feel like it’s been under the radar for too long, and now it’s out! This is a must-see musical which is entertaining from the go. So, if you do one thing this week, go and see this wonderful show.

For more information and tickets view https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/and-juliet/new-theatre-oxford/

&Juliet Musical Details

• Where: New Theatre Oxford
• When: Mon 2 Sep – Sat 7 Sep 2024
• Price: Tickets available from £13.00
• Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes incl. interval

&Juliet Musical 2024 UK Tour Cast

Here’s the list of cast members and the roles they play in the 2024 UK tour of “& Juliet”:

• Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet
• Matt Cardle as Shakespeare
• Lara Denning as Anne
• Sandra Marvin as Angélique
• Jack Danson as Romeo
• Dr. Ranj Singh as Lance
• Kyle Cox as Francois
• Jordan Broatch as May
• Michael Nelson as Henry
• Liam Morris as Richard
• Jade Johnson as Nell / Lady C
• Rosie Singha as Judith
• Nia Stephen as Imogen
• Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid as Lucy/Alternate Juliet
• Andilé Mabhena as Augustine / Dance Team
• Harriet Caplan-Dean as Eleanor
• Alexander Kranz as Lennox
• Aaron Shales as Gregory / Dance Team
• Toni Paise as Violet
• Samuel Wilson-Freeman as Fletcher / Resident Director and Dance Captain

Full &Juliet Musical UK Tour Dates 24/25