& Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre

Romeo who?! With her bags packed and ready to escape Verona, Juliet recovers from
heartbreak in the best way possible… by dancing the night away with her best friends by her
side! But when the sparkle fades, the confetti falls and reality catches up, it’s clear that Juliet
needs to face her past in order to find her future. Can she reclaim a story that has been
written in the stars? Is there really life after Romeo… or could he be worth one more try?

Come along for the ride as the original Anne Hathaway takes on her husband William
Shakespeare to remix his legendary play. As comedy meets tragedy, will Juliet get the ending
she truly deserves? And most importantly, can their love survive this battle of wills?

Shakespeare having an argument with his wife Ann Hatherway about the plot of one of his most famous plays Romeo and Juliet is the set-up for this joyous musical.  What follows is Ann’s retelling of one of the world’s most famous plays told through the medium of a modern pop song that results in a tour de force of pop culture, feminism and Shakespearian in-jokes that has something for everyone to adore.  & Juliet is a show that should not work in theory, it should come off as twee and inauthentic yet somehow it completely works.  It is a show that is full of heart, uniquely believable despite its slightly surreal elements and most of all, complete fun to watch from start to finish.  The themes of friendship and remaining true to who you are, are key to this version of the story.  It’s a show that can seem silly but it does have its surprisingly poignant moments that really take the audience by surprise.  It’s fantastically well written with storylines that are sensitively handled and full of humour and energy.

Music and nostalgia are the driving forces here and if you grew up in any part of the 90s or early 00s it’s hard not to get swept up in the euphoria of the musical performances.  All the Shakespearian in-jokes feel like a real treat for those theatre nerds amongst us and the ‘play within a play’ element (which Shakespeare was a great lover of) is played to great effect here.  The costuming is an inspired mix of traditional Jacobean costuming and modern-day streetwear that melds together beautifully whilst the staging is complementarily simple yet beautifully designed.

& Juliet is the King (or should it be Queen) of the jukebox musical, and yet it is so much more than that!  It’s pure camp joy that you will struggle not to enjoy every second of.  & Juliet is on at the Shaftsbury Theatre until the September 22.  Tickets start from £25 and can be booked through the London Theatre Direct website.

Tickets were gifted in exchange for a review, all words and opinions are my own.