Modern overhauls traditional and the result is an all swinging hilarious transformation of William Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet.
It’s all loud colours, music and a jumping set and costumes for this brash but brilliant musical showing at The King’s Theatre in Glasgow until Saturday 24th August.
Alternate Juliet (Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid) stepped in for the billed Gerardine Sacdalan and boy was she determined to have some fun and make the role her own.
With a brilliant singing voice and bursting with energy, Myers-Reid had the biggest smile on her face throughout the show.
And no wonder, with a brilliant story by David West Read, lyrics and music by Max Martin and directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography from Jennifer Weber, the show is a winner from the start.
Bringing the female to the forefront, the West End on tour show which won three Oliviers, sends the message that there is love and life after Romeo.
The script is centred around Shakespeare’s (superb Matt Cardle) wife Ann Hathaway (the fabulous Lara Denning) as she asks, “what if Juliet didn’t end it all over a boy”.
It’s all intersprinkled with iconic pop anthems including Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and Katy Perry’s “Roar” and the audience lap it all up as they mouth the words.
At Romeo’s (dashing Jack Danson) funeral, Juliet discovers she was not his only lover and in fact he had recited sweet poetry to many.
When her mum threatens to send Juliet away to a convent, she runs away to Paris with her nurse Angelique (Sandra Marvin) and nonbinary pal May (Jordan Broatch). There they gate crash a party and Juliet falls in love with the birthday boy Francois (Kyle Cox), whose father Lance (Ranj Singh) discovers Angelique was an old flame and they rekindle their passion.
Both Marvin and Singh have great fun in their roles and Singh brings light relief to the fast moving show with his hilarious fake French accent.
As always there is a twist in the tale, Romeo it turns out was not poisoned, but drank a sleeping potion and he returns to claim back his Juliet, but she is now betrothed to Francois, who in turn declares his love for May and so sparks a love triangle.
Meanwhile Hathaway uses her new power of the pen to explain to Shakespeare how unhappy she is stuck at home with the children, while he waltzes off writing.
All very empowering, but with glamour, glitter and good old-fashioned fun leaving the audience buzzing!
& Juliet runs at Glasgow until 24th August 20204 and then moves to The New Theatre in Oxford from 2md to 7th September before moving around the UK and finishing in the Wales Millennium Centre in June 2025. For tickets availability please visit: www.atgtickets.com.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family
Photographs courtesy of Matt Crockett
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