Review: &Juliet - West End

&Juliet is the smash hit musical which stormed into London’s West End in November 2019. The show received rave reviews from fans and critics alike, and has just welcomed their new cast to the Shaftesbury Theatre.

“Romeo who?! With her bags packed and ready to escape Verona, Juliet recovers from heartbreak in the best way possible… by dancing the night away with her best friends by her side! But when the sparkle fades, the confetti falls and reality catches up, it’s clear that Juliet needs to face her past in order to find her future. Can she reclaim a story that has been written in the stars? Is there really life after Romeo… or could he be worth one more try?”

The show features a score of pop songs written by the legendary songwriter Max Martin, and includes numbers like Teenage Dream, Since U Been Gone and I Want It That Way. With a plethora of instantly recognisable numbers, &Juliet feels like a big pop party which welcomes audiences in with open arms.

This party-like atmosphere is replicated by the cast who are clearly having the time of their lives while offering their modern twist on this iconic story. This is a show which doesn’t take itself too seriously with it’s cheesy puns and frequent breaking of the fourth wall, and seems to have breathed a new life into not only the Shaftesbury Theatre, but the West End all together.

While the theatre industry as a whole may be taking it’s time in improving on stage representation, &Juliet is without a doubt a forerunner which not only offers a refuge for those ostracised by society throughout history, but practically screams messages of empowerment and inclusion.

The story is filled with flawed, but lovable characters who are played by an incredibly strong cast of some of the West End’s finest performers like Cassidy Janson and Oliver Tompsett. While the whole cast are exemplary, I just want to give a nod to one performance which particularly stood out.

Alex Thomas-Smith’s performance as May was remarkable, but her rendition of I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman was show stopping and simply stunning.

&Juliet feels like a rite of passage for any 20-something adult who grew up listening to the work of Max Martin and is without a doubt London’s best musical chick-flick.
The show is booking at the Shaftesbury Theatre till Saturday 24th September. For more information from the show click here. To book discounted tickets through our affiliated partners click here.

Performance attended: 07/04/2022 (Press Invite)
Cast at the performance I attended: Miriam-Teak Lee, Cassidy Janson, Oliver Tompsett, Keala Settle, Julius D’Silva, Tom Francis, Tim Mahendran, Alex Thomas-Smith and the team of fantastic swings and ensemble members.