Last night's opening performance of & Juliet saw Oxford's New Theatre packed to the rafters. What a show! The singing is breath-takingly good, the dancing slick, the set stunning, and the costumes are a note-perfect mash up of Tudor doublets and contemporary fits. The soundtrack of floor-fillers from the 90s and noughties comes from the peerless back catalogue of Max Martin hits, and includes bangers from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and The Weeknd. And, if you're a fan of Schitt's Creek, you'll recognise the intelligence, lightness and wit of Emmy award-winning writer David West Read. Clever and funny, sharp and sweet, this production can only be described as a 'must-see'.
The talented, diverse cast set about retelling the story of Shakespeare's famous romantic tragedy at the behest of William's wife, Anne Hathaway who is determined to enjoy a rare night off from domestic duty to join her husband for the debut performance of his latest play, Romeo and Juliet. There is glorious wordplay between Shakespeare (Matt Cardle on sterling form) and his wife (a mesmerising Lara Denning). However, instead of 'drinking wine and falling asleep at the interval' Anne plucks the quill from Shakespeare’s hand and inserts herself into the action, eager for Juliet to control of her own destiny.
Juliet herself (a tour-de-force performance from Gerardine Sacdalan) is on a mission to move on after Romeo's death, especially when she discovers that Romeo (Jack Danson) was actually something of a player. She takes her nurse Angelique (Sandra Marvin), her BFF May (Jordan Broatch) and, accompanied by Anne, they travel to Paris where they meet Lance de Bois (Ranj Singh) and his son Francois (Kyle Cox). There's a heap of fun to be had as we watch them wrangle the intricacies of love, friendship, attraction, identity and the importance of being true to yourself.
& Juliet is a rare beast which charms and delights whilst ultimately reaffirming the goodness in people and the importance of acceptance and love. Uplifting and joyous, it's the perfect night out.
Tickets are still available from atgtickets.com – don't miss out.
