& Juliet at Mayflower Southampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Helen O
What if Juliet didn’t take her own life, after Romeo took his? What if she got her happy ending instead? Well, wonder no longer! & Juliet is like the Sliding Doors of musicals, offering an alternative ‘Happy ending’ to Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy and one of the greatest love stories ever told, based on these star-crossed lovers.
I couldn’t wait to take my seat on opening night to see the multi-award winning musical ‘& Juliet’ at Mayflower, Southampton this evening. After a successful run in London’s West End, the hit show is now undertaking a national tour. This week, stopping off in Southampton.
We were seated in the stalls in the centre of the theatre. We had a fabulous view of all of the action on stage. Even though the Mayflower Theatre is relatively old, there is plenty of leg room and the seats are quite comfortable.
The ensemble started appearing on stage a couple of minutes before the scheduled curtains up time, interacting with the audience, which I’d never seen before, but worked really well.
It was soon after that we were introduced to Matt Cardle, previously of X Factor fame, as William Shakespeare himself, partnered with Lara Denning as William’s wife, Anne Hathaway. They were a formidable comic force together. Absolutely brilliant. It’s fair to say that Anne didn’t agree with her husband’s original ending to Romeo & Juliet and offered up some of her own ideas to improve it.
Featuring Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet, who I can only describe as an absolute powerhouse. Wow, what a voice, delivering every line perfectly and with utter conviction.
What I really loved about the show was that although this is was the first time I had watched it, I knew all of the songs featured. Rather than having an original score, the musical is based on contemporary hits of the brilliant record-producer and songwriter, Max Martin. The hits just kept on coming, from Britney Spears’ ‘…Baby One More Time’ to ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry to ‘Since U Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson and all manner of other classics in between. It was like being at a pop concert! All of the hits used are so cleverly intertwined into the story, I thought it was brilliant and on many occasions, absolutely hilarious.
The contrast of the contemporary hits, with the costumes from back in Shakespeare’s day with a modern twist, made for an interesting concept and worked really well. As did the fact that this most famous tragedy has been turned into a comedy, which you wouldn’t expect.
The standout performance for me, was Lara Denning as Anne Hathaway. Comic timing to perfection. She lit up the stage every time she came on and had the audience roaring.
There were two stand out moments for me, for the show; these were during Act one, when May (beautifully played by Jordan Broatch) delivered ‘ I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’. Such a mesmerising performance and judging by the audience’s reaction, I wasn’t alone in thinking this. Also, when Anne Hathaway performed ‘That’s the Way it Is’ during Act 2. Absolutely breath taking. I had goosebumps!
As for Dr Ranj. What a revelation. I wasn’t expecting him to be as good as he was!
All of the actors and supporting cast gave the show their all – what a wonderful, feel good vibe from a show full of laughter and emotion. We’d watch it again in a heartbeat and will be recommending it to family and friends as a great night out and a feel good watch.
With a running time of just over 2 and a half hours, including a 20 minute or so interval, the energy and momentum never waned for the entire show; from the moment we first met William and Anne, to the phenomenal finale, keeping the audience engaged throughout. I didn’t want it to end, it was that brilliant.
The atmosphere in the audience was on fire! We left the theatre feeling like we’d been at a pop concert! Absolutely fabulous! The cast and orchestra richly deserved their standing ovation at the end.
The tickets range between £28 and £52.50, so there’s a ticket price for everyone’s budget to see this masterpiece! I think it’s good value for money and pretty standard pricing for a West End show on tour these days.
The show is running from Tuesday 5th November until Saturday 9th November 2024, with matinee shows on Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th November. It is recommended for age 10 years and over, although be aware there are a few naughty words which sneak in.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: Tickets range from £28 to £52.50 depending on date and seating location.
Buy tickets here: https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/and-juliet-2024/
Full address of the Theatre: The Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE