Theatre Review: & Juliet, Bristol Hippodrome
Summary:
Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: Wednesday 15th January 2025 – Saturday 25th January 2025
Where to see it: Bristol Hippodrome
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (including interval)
Keywords: Pop, Love, Empowerment
Photo Credit: Matt Crockett
Review
It is a really clever way of telling a story and I think “& Juliet” might be the best version of a jukebox musical that I have seen.
The audience waited with bated breath for opening night, for the stars to adorn the stage and for the music of our youth to flood our ears. The theatre was filled with the chattering of excited friends, with the sound of rustling crisp packets and the sloshing of drinks, everyone hurriedly taking their seats to ask the question, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”…
Oh who cares! This show is all about JULIET!
Created by the Emmy-winning writer of “Schitts Creek” David West Read, “& Juliet” has collected three Olivier Awards since its first run in 2019 and it promises to keep running for a very long time with its sharp and funny writing and its plethora of pop hits! The show is a coming-of-age jukebox musical about what could have happened if Juliet hadn’t taken her own life and shared in the same fate as Romeo at the end of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”.
Juliet’s story is told through a mixtape of nostalgic and modern pop songs including Katy Perry’s “Roar”, Britney Spears “Oops! I Did It Again” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone”. The songs are all beautifully repurposed to capture the emotions and challenges of choosing to love yourself over choosing the wrong type of love. It was incredible to hear such familiar songs for what truly felt like the first time and realising that the lyrics are more profound than you ever realised. It is a really clever way of telling a story and I think “& Juliet” might be the best version of a jukebox musical that I have seen.
Photo Credit: Matt Crockett
Alongside the clever use of music, what really shone in this production was the cast. Gerardine Sacdalan knocked it out the park as ‘Juliet’, a powerful and strong performance with a touching thread of innocence throughout. Her voice was spectacular and she held the weight of the title character with such grace and ease.
Jordan Broatch played Juliet’s best friend ‘May’, a person on their own journey of self-discovery and whom provided some of the most touching moments in the show. Hearing Britney Spears’ song “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” used to tell May’s story of being a non-binary person in a binary world was magnificent and Jordans voice is beautifully captivating. Jay McGuiness (The Wanted, Strictly Come Dancing Winner 2015) also starred as ‘William Shakespeare’ himself, cleverly narrating and re-writing the show with his wife Anne (Lara Denning) as it went along, breathing new life into Juliet’s story at every turn.
However, the performances that were the most impressive for me were from Sandra Marvin (Emmerdale, Call the Midwife) who played ‘Angelique’ and Lara Denning (The Rocky Horror Show UK Tour, Dirty Dancing UK Tour) who played ‘Anne’, Shakespeare’s devoted wife. They both were so utterly captivating, incredibly funny and their voices were beyond brilliant. They both drove the story, and Juliet, along in their own way and showcased what it means to have powerful women in your life cheering you on and routing for you to succeed. Angelique and Anne are Juliet’s friends, her family, and most of all, her champions.
Photo Credit: Matt Crockett
I won’t spoil all of the little surprises that ‘& Juliet’ has to offer – there are references a plenty for anyone with a keen eye and ear – but there is so much here to see! The costume design is beautiful, very reminiscent of costuming in the musical ‘Six’, and the set design is big, bold, and bright. The supporting cast move the set pieces around the stage with such ease, changing the stage from Verona to Paris in a flash.
The choreography, much like the music, is a mix of the old and the new, blending 90’s music video dances with modern day TikTok trends, and we all got up in the audience at the end of the show for a dance as well! Most surprisingly though was how funny “& Juliet” is. The comedy writing is spectacular and tailored very well to a British audience who is used to pantomime puns and “Carry On” innuendos. The cast were brilliant at delivering the comedic lines and providing moments of physical humour as well…watching Lee Latchford-Evans from the band Steps chasing Sandra Marvin around a bed and singing with a French accent made for excellent viewing!
Overall, “& Juliet” was a fantastic show and I couldn’t recommend it enough. It was cool, fresh, funny, charming and emotional. It used the lyrics of it’s musical numbers so well to tell Juliet’s story and the story of all those around her. At the end of the journey, love always wins, but as Ru Paul says, “If you can’t love yourself, then how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?!”
The show is running until the 25th January so grab your ticket soon!
Standout Quote or Moment: May (Jordan Broatch) singing “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”.
Similar Plays: Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia, Six.
See If: You like pop songs, sarcastic humour and Shakespeare.
Last Impression: Pop-tastic musical where love wins!
To get tickets for the show click here
We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.
Written by Amy Evans
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