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BrumHour saw & Juliet at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
This production contains adult humour and strong language.
& Juliet at Birmingham Hippodrome: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”A great musical treat”
Directed by Luke Sheppard Music by Max Martin and Friends, book by David West Read
Shakespeare and his wife Anne imagine that Juliet survives Romeo, and Juliet and carries on with her life. This is the performance of that continuation – with 90s/00s pop songs. There is a lot going on here to unpack.
Jay McGuiness plays Shakspeare with vocal and lyrical confidence, whilst Lara Denning plays Anne Hathaway with a fun level of excitement and investment, at one point during her solo her vocals are heartbreaking.
Then there is Gerardine Sacdalan as our Juliet whom the audience adored, blazing her way through the show. Humour comes from Sandra Marvin as the nanny and Dr Ranj as Lance, both have excellent vocals too. Stepping into the role of Romeo for the remainder of the tour is an actual American, Benjamin Jackson Walker. With most of the other lyrics sung with London/Home Counties accent, it is amusing to note the difference. Benjamin steps onto the stage with ease and immediately gets the audience to warm to him.
The set feels very theatrical with neon lights, a projected backdrop and switching from London, to Paris and Verona with ease. Costumes blend modern with Elizabethan. And the lighting helps the production pay tribute to a broad range of stage musicals.
Audiences will know the music from artists like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Katy Perry and even some Ellie Goulding. And set in a musical they steer away from the X Factor style renditions.
A great musical treat filled with huge pop numbers & Juliet is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 3rd May 2025. What are you waiting for? Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/and-juliet.
