I was fortunate to see &Juliet recently at the Shaftesbury Theatre. I was in one of the cheaper sets- so side view on.
The show began in an imaginative way which I liked but don’t want to spoil it for you
This show packed pizazz,energy and oh glitter! Lots!
Incredibly strong performances from Miriam Teak-Lee as Juliet, Cassidy Janson as Anne. Keala Settle as Nurse, Oliver Tompsett as Shakespeare. Notable mentions also go to Bessy Ewa as Lucy, and Owen Saward as Augustine.
This show had incredible sets and scenery, it had glamour and oozed energy and youthfulness. The actors’ performances were top-notch and some of the characters were believable, such as Cassidy Janson’s portrayal of Anne.
The actual story line though was weak with some predictable consequences. I found the character Francois annoying. The boy-band section also left me feeling deflated, it added nothing for me to the production.
There was clever staging done and you never knew what to expect next. However some of the scenes felt like ad-libbing at a pantomime, the jokes were not all funny.
Luckily Miriam carries this show, with her powerful voice and character, it makes you believe in Juliet and makes you want to fight her corner.
In some respects I felt the show was still in Theatre Preview mode, with some tweaks to be ironed out. The lighting and sound was amazing though, alongside the scenery and choreography.
The ensemble and their dance sequences were outstanding, I loved some of the audience interaction as well.
There though was too many characters and too many storylines for this show to be outstanding success in my eyes, the focus should be on Juliet and I felt the other storylines took away from her story.
The show is definitely worth seeing but I wouldn’t personally be going back to see it.
The show itself appeals to to a youthful demographic and the audience seemed to lap up the show when I was there, along with a standing ovation.
I think this show needs to go back to basics and some jokes and scenes need to be taken out.