REVIEW - & Juliet is big, bold, brilliant and an absolute blast!

On Thursday, we were invited to the Manchester Opera House to watch & Juliet. Read what our reviewer Leanne Parker had to say about this incredible show...

Having seen &Juliet in Manchester in 2019, I was VERY excited to take my seat this evening, knowing that for the next two and a half hours, all real-life would be suspended, business as usual would halt and the ordinariness of daily life fade away. And it delivered on all counts. This witty, bubbly, unapologetically loud and in-your-face production is just so much FUN (capital letters intended)!!! Based on the book by David West Read (he wrote Schitt’s Creek so you just know it’s going to be irreverently witty and playful in its humour) and directed by Luke Shepard (&Juliet (on Broadway), In the Heights, Rent), we take a fabulous journey together through an exhilarating, frenzied and dynamic flurry of dance, music, lights and razzle-dazzle that will leave you dancing in the aisles, and leaving with the widest grin and a sense of empowered joy. I am telling you now, run, do not walk, as fast as you can to see this show!   

At the opening of the evening, we are introduced to Matt Cardle (Memphis, Strictly Ballroom, Jesus Christ Superstar) as William Shakespeare, and Lara Denning (Sunset Boulevard, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Matilda, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) as his wife, Anne as they argue over the ending of his play, ‘Romeo & Juliet’. What follows is a brilliant piece of writing, which, given the writer, you would expect, and a very clever play within a play, as they work together, albeit not especially harmoniously, on a rewrite, with Anne challenging her husband - "Are you a strong enough man to write a stronger woman?". This casting is genius and these two are such a great pairing! Denning is incredible – giving the stand-out performance of the evening (which is saying something because this cast are spectacular) and, as it turns out, a phenomenal singer on top. You can’t help but love her, feel your heart break a little for her in moment and above all, want to go on a crazy night out with her, which luckily, we, the audience do. Cardle delivers a great performance as Shakespeare, with a touch of cheeky, a dash of humour and a whole dollop of perfectly delivered one-liners.

With more than a passing nod to social issues, themes of gender identity and the feminist movement, this really is a tale for modern times. In this version of the classic story, Juliet does not end it all as she wakes to find Romeo dead. In fact, she his ending becomes her new beginning as she leaves her past behind her and travels to Paris with her nurse Angelique, played by the incomparable Sandra Marvin (Sister Act, White Christmas, Stepping Out, Showboat, Hairspray) and new friends May (Jordan Broatch – 42 Balloons, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, LIFT The Musical) and April (who is actually Anne, who has taken the opportunity to write herself into the story). While in Paris, they meet Lance, who turns out to be Angelique’s former lover and is played by Ranj Singh and his awkwardly adorable son Francois, played by Kyle Cox (Crazy for You, Treason, Ain’t Too Proud, Elf), who, just like Juliet, whose parents are trying to send her to a convent, has ambitions to detach from familial pressures and expectations and make his own way in life. It appears that perhaps Juliet and Francois might just turn out to be a perfect match. Or are they??? Because while Shakespeare and Anne argue over the course of Juliet’s destiny, Francois discovers feelings for May and amid all that, Romeo returns to declare his love for Juliet, and we wait with bated breath to see which path she will choose. Marvin as Angelique is pure dynamite, a vocal force and a presence on stage that is just superb. Singh is hilarious and delivers the role brilliantly. The pairing of Marvin and Singh is utter perfection, and the audience laps up their interactions with glee.  

Our Juliet is played by Geraldine Sacdalan (The Wedding Singer, Made in Dagenham) with every bit of gumption, strength and self-awareness that you’d want from a character being rewritten as a strong, self-assured and powerful woman in her own right. Add to that the fact that she is an absolute vocal powerhouse and what you have here is a stage presence that is ‘lit’. Jack Danson (Mamma Mia, Cats, Dick Whittington) captures the full essence of ‘douche’ as a Romeo who clearly thinks quite highly of himself, isn’t that clever but loves a bit of melodrama. This production brings everything it has, pushing the boundaries of the conventional, challenging stagnant perspectives, shouting loud and proud as it lends its voice to not only female empowerment, but just empowerment in general. Self-love, self-acceptance, self-reliance and self-awareness are very much the order of the day and honestly, the character development throughout the performance is as impressive as it is inspiring.
   

This is a production made brilliant not only by the performers on the stage in front of us, but equally by the extraordinarily talented creative team behind it all. The choreography by Jennifer Webber (KPOP, Cruel Intentions, Zombies 2, The Hip Hop Nutcracker) is fierce, fabulous and full of dynamic energy. The music is brilliant and the timing of song choices is, at times, pure genius! Along with various collaborators, Max Martin has created some of the biggest hits that span over two and half decades. I was awed but unsurprised to read that he is second only to Paul McCartney and John Lennon in terms of the number of US Number One singles! I seat shimmied, foot tapped, and shoulder shook my way through the entire performance, just as I did back in 2019, as did the entire audience! To put into perspective just how good the music in this show is, last time, my unborn son was tearing up the womb-based dancefloor from start to end – the most active he was in the entire 9 months I carried him! Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer and producer Bill Sherman expertly oversees the musical supervision, orchestration and arrangements. 

Soutra Gilmour’s (Evita, Guys and Dolls, Macbeth, The crucible) set design, matched with Paloma Young’s (Peter and the Starcatcher, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) costume, Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi, The DaVinci Code, The Drifters Girl) video and projection, Howard Hudson’s (Strictly Ballroom, In the Heights, 9 to 5) lighting, and Gareth Owen’s (Kinky Boots, Come From Away, Back to the Future) sound come together like a match made in heaven. It really is no wonder that the production secured five WhatsOnStage Awards in design categories: set, costume, video, projection, and graphic. Tudor meets Hip Hop, Classic meets Modern, Traditional meets Creativity. The results are visually and auditorily spectacular. With great minds and even greater imagination, the set and creative design of this production really are slick. Its big. Its bold. It’s brilliant and an absolute blast.  

WE SCORE & JULIET...



& Juliet is on at the Opera House, Manchester until Saturday 20th July 2024.

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