Michael Cox reviews ‘an absolute joy’ of a production ‘that has its heart in the right place.’
William Shakespeare wants to murder innocent Juliet Capulet. At least, that’s how Anne Hathaway (not that one) sees it. Hathaway’s husband might be an acclaimed writer of tragedies, but she really likes the character of Juliet and wants her to have a happy ending. Romeo? Not so much—a damp squib of a character: he can stay dead. But Juliet must live.
And so the musical & Juliet begins. Using modern pop songs and operating as an act of wish fulfilment against one of the most famous tragic stories of all time, the musical is a fun ‘what if’ frolic that is filled with colour, energy and pizzazz.
Shakespeare and Hathaway stay on the sidelines to watch the new version play out—at first. But when Juliet, along with her Nurse and her two best friends (whom Shakespeare omitted), decide to run off to Paris instead of joining a nunnery, things go crazy.
What could have been a jumbled mess does take interesting shape as the end of the first act nears. Hathaway is having the time of her life—creating Juliet’s newfound life is giving her a new purpose, and everything is happy. But Shakespeare reminds us that stories that only use the words ‘and then’ are boring—conflict comes when the writer uses ‘but’ and ‘however’, and soon Shakespeare and Hathaway scramble to control the narrative.
In truth, it’s all a lot simpler than all of that sounds. And it’s also a lot more fun. Is a knowledge of Shakespeare and the play Romeo and Juliet necessary? Not really—but there are plenty of easter eggs for those in the know.
David West Read (book) and Max Martin (music and lyrics—with ‘friends’) have created a theatrical romp—an utterly charming production that’s eager to please yet manages to find enough emotional beats to take it all seriously enough.
Director Luke Sheppard has stitched together a production that is an utter blast to behold. Lights flash, music thumps and people fly. In less assured hands, the whole thing would spiral into a mess—what we have here is controlled chaos.
And the cast manage to find passion, humour and, surprisingly at times, pathos. At the performance reviewed, understudy Michael Nelson took the role of Shakespeare and was excellent from the start: cheeky and entertaining but also a foil to the plot. Ranj Singh and Sandra Marvin are a lot of fun as father-figure Lance and old flame Angelique (known to us as Juliet’s Nurse), and Jordan Broatch and Kyle Cox are great as this version’s ‘star-crossed lovers’ May and Francois.
And Juliet? Gerardine Sacdalan brings a youthful and energetic drive to everything. In many ways, Sacdalan has the hardest role—almost a cameo in key moments even if she is the titular character. But when she’s onstage, she’s a standout—particularly when faced with a hilarious returned from the dead Romeo (Jack Danson—having a great time in the stooge role).
However, the real powerhouse is found in Lara Denning’s triumphant performance as Anne Hathaway. Denning carries the show, along with the themes of feminism and the subjugation of women from history. We know so little about Hathaway, but & Juliet does a great job in giving her voice and agency. Denning is a delight, and on a few occasions she’s also devastating.
With its use of modern pop songs, maybe & Juliet is not destined to have a long life in the canon of musical theatre. But it’s an absolute joy, it has its heart in the right place, and it has far more to say than it originally appears at the beginning. Seems Juliet did have a lot more life in her after all.
& Juliet is at the Edinburgh Playhouse until November 16, 2024. It then continues its tour well into 2025.
Photo by Matt Crockett.
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