And Juliet At The Shaftesbury Theatre, London Review

Reviewed by Beth Cowan

I am confident in saying the we all know or have heard of the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, well this is an entirely new retelling! In a glitter filled “girl power” rewrite of the tales woeful end, this version tells the story of what would happen if Juliet did NOT kill herself!

She travels the world, finding herself and her own voice, with her 2 best friends and Nurse- singing well known songs from producer and songwriter Max Martin.

I was lucky enough to see the brand new cast of this performance which included: Miriam Teak Lee – who was awarded the Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2020 for her performance as Juliet – Cassidy Janson, who also won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anne Hathaway, Oliver Tompsett as William Shakespeare, Tim Mahendran as Francois and Alex Thomas-Smith as May. Perhaps the biggest name on this cast list however is Keala Settle, who starred in ‘The Greatest Showman’ with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, as the Bearded Lady! Needless to say that woman’s voice knocked everyone’s socks off!

This show not only redefines the women of Shakespeare plays but also explores queer themes and relationships, in a way that young people can understand- through the epic love story of May, Juliet’s best friend as they fall in love with Francois, Juliet’s new fiancé. It was brilliant to see such representation and diversity both on and off stage. May’s gender expression was addressed with a beautiful rendition of “Not a girl, not yet a woman”- I’m not a huge fan of Jukebox musicals, but this song fit beautifully with Mays journey.

The acting style was a little confusing, with some people taking on a more realistic approach, and others giving us the over the top MT Jazz hands style acting. I’m a much bigger fan of the former, but I think the latter style appeals to the younger audiences more. The shows target audience is definitely children and teenagers with phrases such “that’s lit!“ and “I’m living for it”.- beware however there are a few swear words throughout such as the song “f*cking perfect” by P!nk. If this is not something you’d be comfortable with your child listening to, then this show isn’t for you! But if not, do not let it deter you as there were many families in the audience who had a wonderful time and a bit of a giggle at the naughty words!

The set and costume were fantastic! A wonderful mix of period style and modern hip clothing (think Corsets and Sneakers) with the set simple but striking! A fab use of the projections at the back and the staple set piece, the “Romeo&Juliet” that separated and came together at different points in the show!

As far as the venue goes, it was a gorgeously decorated theatre- a little small, not that accessible to larger bodies and I couldn’t find a lot of step free access, although there were many helpful hosts around who were happy to assist with any audience members needs. The bar and merchandise areas were crowded (as it was a big media night), we were gifted little bottles of Prosecco and a program which was lovely! The bar snacks were overpriced, with those little cans of Pringles coming out at £2. Regardless, the theatre was beautiful and situated 2 mins away from Oxford street and 10 minutes from Charing Cross Station.

Overall, this is not a critically acclaimed, moving piece of Shakespeare, but it is a fun night out with familiar tunes and a great way to introduce your kids to Classic literature and modern inclusivity!

Rating: 4/5

Tickets start from £22.50

&Juliet is at The Shaftesbury Theatre from 8th April- 23rd September (with more tickets being released past this date)
For more information or to book tickets visit https://tixtrack.shaftesburytheatre.com/tickets/series/andjuliet/juliet-364002?startDate=04-08-2022 or call the box office on 0207 379 5399.

Shaftesbury Theatre London 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8DP