& Juliet at Bradford Alhambra Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Kat Harrison

I need to start by telling you that ‘& Juliet’ is a clever, crazy and colourful production were past and present collide to create a hugely uplifting atmosphere and an auditorium of exhilarated smiles.

For World Book Day this year, my daughter decided to dress up as Juliet (perfectly happy minus a Romeo) so when the opportunity to review ‘& Juliet’ at the stunning Bradford Alhambra Theatre came up, we were ready! Both already of the thinking ‘who needs Romeo’, we were intrigued to discover a new story where Juliet doesn’t give up when Romeo gives in.

‘& Juliet’, a new musical by the Emmy-award winning writer of Schitt’s Creek, shakes up Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet. I’ve always questioned the Bard’s play and its label of ‘the greatest love story ever told.’ With that ending?

This joyous musical is almost a play within a play and whilst the story is about Juliet, it’s actually very much led by Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. Anne is a little fed up of being at home with the kids whilst hubby William lives it up in London. Shakespeare shares his new play with his wife but like me, she isn’t happy with the ending and wants him to change it. Some persuasion later (aided by the Backstreet Boys’ ‘I want it that way’) William gives in and the theatre audience are set on course for a wild ride of a retelling. Anne takes control of the quill and we all find out what could have happened next, if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo.

Whilst Juliet’s new story is retold, we’re treated to quirky intermissions from William and Anne who appear on stage discussing their ideas and the story’s progress as they each try to shape the play, cleverly managing to weave themselves into the action. It’s super sharp. Yet also silly. But silly in a good way. Actually, silly in a great way.

Fun, loud and proud, ‘& Juliet’ is an all-singing, all-dancing, swinging from the chandeliers celebration of life – despite it starting with a dead Romeo!

Juliet is heartbroken but equally determined her life too won’t be over and sets off to Paris with her besties, to begin a new chapter.

The story is told through non-stop, energetic performances of an impressive playlist of pop anthems; from Britney Spears’ ‘Baby One More Time’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ to a collection of hits that will be more than a treat for any fan of the Backstreet Boys. The musical takes mainstream songs from Max Martin, the songwriter responsible for more number one hits than anyone else this century and almost turns them into poetry. There’s no shoe-horning here. It’s as if the lyrics have been written purely for this updated version of a classic. I’ve never thought so much about the words of a song as I did here. Taking much heard lyrics and transforming everyday pop songs into truly meaningful pieces is no mean feat but credit where credit is due, what a performance. Hats off to the cast, the director and the musical supervisor.

‘& Juliet’ is very much an ensemble musical. For a lot of the time, the whole cast are on stage and work together to create a happy, heartfelt and hilarious production. It avoids the claustrophobic feel some busy musicals end up with and instead creates a beautiful buzz. There’s plenty of chemistry amongst the cast and it’s obviously a real team effort of a show with fantastic vocals and superb choreography and dancing throughout. The performance has lots of supporting characters who all have their chance to shine, and all do so brightly. But for me, there was one real standout…

Lara Denning as Anne Hathaway is a marvel to behold. She’s not an actress, she is Anne. Not only can Lara sing with huge emotion, she acts with it too, her comedic timing particularly impressive. She gave the character a real, passionate edge and I just wanted Anne to be my friend.

The cast features a few familiar faces including The Wanted band member and 2015 Strictly Come Dancing winner Jay McGuiness as Shakespeare. Jay grew into the performance as it went on, I in turn growing to like him more and more. He didn’t quite escape the boyband persona, which at times worked well but at others, I wanted more emotion from him. That said, stepping into Shakespeare’s shoes, he gave a stellar performance.

Also on stage, we saw CBeebies and This Morning Presenter Dr Ranj Singh as Lance, who I worried would be the weak link in the cast but who offered up a voice I didn’t believe he had, alongside a cheekier than I imagined performance. Ranj hit all the right notes (be it with a questionable French accent that actually added to the fun rather than spoil it).

This musical is somewhat unique in that you don’t really know when it’s set, with costumes and props inspired by both Shakespearean and modern times. Ruffles, codpieces and corsets work hand in hand with jeans, trainers and baseball caps. Rather than confuse, this eclectic mix cohesively sets the scene. It doesn’t matter when or where we are, it’s the fundamentals of the story that are important.

The musical is playful but it does take some heavier subject matters and deal with them by making them lighter. We see Anne take on the politics of marriage and the role of a Shakespearean Spice Girl as she sets about promoting female empowerment, promoting everyone’s right to make their own decisions, fight for what they want and write their own story.

A romantic sub plot also focuses on the notion that love is love; that love between people is beautiful, no matter their gender or how they identify. This isn’t preachy at all, just completely natural and highlights the sentiment without really highlighting it at all.

The lighting, the aerial performances, the VT work and lots of glitter really add to the vibrancy of this show. There’s lots of elements but everything just fits in, nothing feels out of place or too much. I loved the little Shakespeare facts thrown in throughout the piece, particularly the use of many popular phrases coined by Shakespeare that we still use today.

The age guidance for this show is 8+ and I’d agree that’s about my right. There’s a few ‘kissy’ moments that my daughter billed ‘gross’, a little strong language but nothing excessive and the plot within a plot could be a bit much for younger audiences. But all in all it’s family friendly, it’s full of exciting twists and turns and concepts that will unite the youngest and oldest generations. It’s too upbeat not to love.

The song titles from this musical, really do sum up this fantastically produced and performed show. It’s ’Larger than Life’, it’s ’Confident’ and it’s ‘Effin Perfect!’

Rating: 5/5 stars

‘& Juliet’ is at The Alhambra in Bradford until Saturday 29th March, with tickets priced between £18.75 and £57.75. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.bradford-theatres.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01274 432000

The UK tour will then continue. See all the dates www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk