His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen – until Saturday 8th February
Reviewed by Fiona Leyman
4****
Shakespeare’s tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet is well known to all of us. How, one could not survive without the other, and how their forbidden love led to their premature deaths. One of Shakespeare’s most well-known works, this tale of true love has stood the test of time. But Anne Hathaway, his wife, wasn’t quite in agreement with the conclusion of her husband’s newest play. Anne pleads with her husband William, to allow her to change the tragic story’s conclusion. Suppose Juliet survived?
Given that she was not Romeo’s first and only love interest, Juliet can survive without him. Together with her best friend May, Nurse Angelique, and a new friend named April (Hathaway decides to write herself into her ending), Juliet flees to France to avoid being sent to a convent.
& Juliet is a coming-of-age twist on this classic tale. A jukebox musical that showcases Swedish composer Max Martin’s most popular songs. You will want to jump up and join the party after listening to the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and Katy Perry, among other fan favourites.
Having seen this production during its West End residency at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, I was interested in whether a touring company could deliver the same effect as its predecessor. It’s safe to say that the outstanding production crew of this award-winning musical met the highest expectations. With its rustic architecture, graffitied walls, and colourful props, set designer Soutra Gilmore (Guys & Dolls, Evita) creates a sense of modern Paris and Verona.
Paloma Young, a Tony Award-winning costume designer, creates flawless outfits. Her work is brought to life by fusing traditional 17th-century styles and hues with contemporary ones. Every costume is specially made to make each figure easily identifiable.
The character of William Shakespeare is played by The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness, who adds charm and comedy to the part. His relationship with Anne Hathaway, his on-stage wife, was outstanding, and their personas truly complemented one another.
Lee Latchford-Evans, best known for being in pop group Steps, played Frenchman Lance, and his performance was surprisingly good. To be honest, I hadn’t anticipated much because he has never had a powerful voice. However, he surprised me with an emotive vocal performance during his piece, Shape of My Heart, with his onstage son Francois. I must also add, I was very impressed he managed to walk and dance in those heels!
The most notable performance of the day was Lara Denning’s (Sunset Boulevard and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) portrayal of Anne Hathaway. Her vocals, particularly during her solo of Céline Dion’s song That’s The Way It Is, blew the roof off His Majesty’s Theatre. It is admirable how much range she has in that powerful voice of hers.
Unfortunately, not every vocalist was as strong as the others in the cast. As their love grew during the show, Jordan Broatch (42 Balloons, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown) as May and Kyle Cox (Treason, Crazy for You) as Francois lacked passion in their portrayals. Compared to the other performers on stage, their solo performances fell short of expectations. However, it was nice to see representations of modern relationships depicted on the stage.
The audience is sure to enjoy &Juliet‘s amazing score, lively humour, and fun-loving characters. It was very hard not to compare the quality of the cast to that of its West End predecessors because we were truly spoilt with that cast. Despite this, the production was outstanding for a touring group, as was the calibre of some of its performers.