& Juliet

You’re gonna hear her roar! Shakespeare’s Juliet is changing her story, thanks to this hilarious and empowering musical remake of the Bard’s famous tragedy. Instead of dying with Romeo, she’s off to Paris, accompanied by an inclusive company and a host of incredible pop bangers. Do you want it that way?

The & Juliet London production premiered in 2019 and was an instant hit with theatregoers and with critics; it won three Olivier Awards in 2020. London Theatre raved about the show, saying "A popular hit made from popular hits has been born."

At the end of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is in the tomb. But in this comic adventure, as she and her best friend May head to Paris. There they meet the unhappy Lance, who feels pressured by his father to live a certain life, while Juliet’s nurse Angelique connects with an old flame. Before you can say "oops I did it again," everyone’s tangled in romantic complications galore.

Live your ultimate teenage dream.

& Juliet's incredible pop soundtrack is down to pop genius Max Martin. He's the songwriter behind the Backstreet Boys’s “Everybody,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” and Britney Spears’s “…Baby One More Time,” to name a few.

It’s also a fantastic battle of the sexes: Shakespeare wars with his wife Anne Hathaway over what twists and turns the story should take, Anne advocating for the female characters. Add in wonderful LGTQ+ representation, and a classic tale becomes a musical for today. That’s partly thanks to its book writer David West Read, whose work includes the wonderful progressive sitcom Schitt’s Creek.

The show is led by Olivier winners Miriam Teak-Lee as Juliet, and Cassidy Janson as Anne Hathaway, plus Oliver Tompsett as Shakespeare – giving it superb musical theatre pedigree. That’s bolstered by director Luke Sheppard, who previously directed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights in the West End.

What to Watch For:

• & Juliet pokes loving fun at some of the absurdities of Shakespeare’s original play. Like did you realise the great romance between Romeo and Juliet, the one they’re prepared to die for, only lasts four days? Shakespeare fans will spot plenty of witty gags.
• As if Max Martin’s chart-topping songs weren’t musical heaven enough, they have been arranged by none other than Bill Sherman – the Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning orchestrator behind In the Heights, Hamilton, and the tick, tick…Boom! film adaptation.
• The show is notable for putting a non-binary character centre stage. May asserts their gender identity in the script and laments some of society’s prejudices (“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” takes on new meaning), but soon becomes part of a swoon-worthy queer romance. It’s a big step forward for a West End musical in terms of representation.
• The boy band is back! And so are the MTV moves we all loved back in the day. Choreographer Jennifer Weber, whose work includes the Hip Hop Nutcracker, has great fun riffing on the likes of the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney and Demi Lovato in her routines for the & Juliet cast.
• This isn’t Tony Award-winning costume designer Paloma Young’s first time mixing periods in such stylish fashion. If you love her & Juliet attire, which pairs ruffs with leather jackets and corsets with trainers, check out her looks for the Broadway hit Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 – Russian aristocracy-meets-punk rock.