One of the Bard’s most famous plays is turned on its head in a hit-packed musical at Norwich Theatre this week.
The two (and a half) hour traffic of our stage is & Juliet, which asks the question of what might have happened if Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers hadn’t both died.
The show is packed to the rafters with familiar tunes penned by Swedish song writer Max Martin and made famous by artists like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, and Bon Jovi.
This is a literal jukebox musical – there’s one centre stage at the show’s opening and finale – and you can’t help suspect some of the plot twists and turns are driven by the available lyrics rather than the other way round.
It’s tempting to say it’s all just sound and fury signifying nothing, but when it works – such as Juliet’s rendition of Oops I Did It Again it and new characters May and Francois’ duet on I Kissed A Girl – it’s both beautifully funny and extremely entertaining.
There are some strong performances too – though perhaps not where you’d expect. TV doctor Ranj Singh wasn’t my pick for highlight of the show before going, but he absolutely nailed his comic turn as the Nurse’s love interest, with Sandra Marvin exceptional as his paramour.
X Factor’s Matt Cardle has a definite twinkle as a cock-sure Shakespeare, challenged with fantastic spirit by Harriet Caplan-Dean as wife Anne; despite the show’s title, it is her character who really drives the show and deserves a stronger billing.
By comparison Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet is relatively flat: she has solid vocals and spot on dance moves, but gives a saccharine performance that lacks the depth of a true lead.
The plot is thin, despite a cerebral garnish of Shakespearean references scattered on top, but that’s really not the point. This is basically just an excuse for a pop concert, and it’s one with terrific production values: the set and projection offer a blaze of colour and movement, and the mix of live music and backing tracks always sounds top notch. I lost track of the number of confetti cannons.
It’s fun with a capital F. Just put your brain into neutral and let the astonishing songbook and visual riot wash over you like a glorious, non-sensical, midsummer night’s dream.
- & Juliet continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until 3 August 2024.
