&Juliet, Regent Theatre, Melbourne, 7th June 2023.
I was looking forward to seeing &Juliet. When an actor, I had performed in musicals and as a theatre director had produced several of Shakespeare’s plays. Would it work to blend Shakespearean motifs and Elizabethan behaviour with contemporary pop music? I was eager to find out.
When I entered the auditorium, the stage was alive and dynamic. Actors were dancing and laughing and connecting with the people taking their seats. Already it felt like Shakespeare’s Globe in Elizabethan England, when suddenly, exploding visuals, musical intensity, a chorus singing and dancing their way through “Larger than Life” (a hit made by Backstreet Boys) ... and we’re off!
Immediately we are introduced to William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway who are our narrators on the story journey. Don’t worry if you don’t know the plot of Romeo and Juliet - within the first five minutes we are given a précis of Shakespeare’s version. At this point Anne suggests to William that it would be better if Juliet did not die and takes it upon herself to re-write the play.
From then on Anne’s character gives us a feminist spin on all things Elizabethan including marriage, love and female independence. When Juliet, to avoid the nunnery, escapes to Paris with her nurse and friends, the adventure begins. Events cascade. Shifts and turns of the plot, hidden identities, the revelation of secrets and misinterpreted feelings, last minute escapes, characters cross-dressing and gender shifting all resemble the rhythms, themes and structures of a Shakespearean comedy.
In that spirit, by the end, relationships are resolved happily with Juliet finding autonomy, the strength of her convictions and the confidence to act upon them. She is a modern heroine for the 21st century.
The cleverly conceived staging is in constant movement. Large screens are at the back and set pieces move in and out and revolve on the stage sustaining the momentum and matching the high intensity soundscape. At times it has a rock concert ‘feel’ with flashing and laser lights, screens bursting with colour, smoke and confetti drops and lifts hoisting actors high above the stage.
Like watching fireworks, it stimulates the senses and triggers an adrenalin rush. At other times, the visual and aural intensity subsides. Rows and trees of fairy lights gently support a character’s self-revelation or the soft singing of a ballad. Costumes are an effective blend of contemporary street wear and Elizabethan touches – corsets, ruffles and chain mail are combined with denim jackets and trainers.
The music and lyrics, all written by Grammy Award winner Max Martin and collaborators, are iconic pop hits made famous by Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Pink, Bon Jovi, Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion to name a few. It was a delightful surprise to be able to sing along (in my head) with more than half of the 28 songs. A brand new, challenging story being told by old familiar ‘friends.’
The book is written by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek/Tony nominated) and is witty, taught, fast and clever. He seamlessly weaves the actor’s language with the lyrics of the pop anthems propelling the story forward, and by using William and Anne’s conflict to re-direct the story, he keeps the audience guessing and undermines expectations.
Combining contemporary everyday language with recognizable phrases invented by Shakespeare surprised and delighted the audience. In Act Two as the absurdity increased, the physical gags, puns and satire invited them to cheer, groan, boo and laugh as if they were at a Pantomime. During the finale the players get the audience on their feet, singing and dancing to Katy Perry’s Roar - an ingenious way to orchestrate a standing ovation.
Ultimately, &Juliet is a coming-of-age story, of self-discovery, and empowerment. Its themes of acceptance, inclusion and diversity are reflected overtly in the casting of the players and the choices the characters make.
@Juliet is a musical for our time. It demonstrates how to come together in our differences and how to collaborate joyfully in the creation of something new. When the show was over, I asked a group of high school students what they thought, and they absolutely loved it. The singing, dancing and acting is uniformly excellent and the effervescent enthusiasm of all the players is infectious. I left the theatre with a skip in my step, singing the songs and wishing that ‘life would imitate art’.
Tanya Gerstle
About the Writer
Tanya Gerstle is a theatre director, actor trainer and performance coach. She has worked in performance and training contexts in Australia and internationally over the past 35 years.
Tanya is currently Artistic Director of OpticNerve Performance Group, a performance coach with The Australian Bar Association and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the University of Melbourne, where she holds a Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts specialising in improvisational practices.
About & JULIET
& JULIET is produced by Michael Cassel Group in association with MTM/Leyline and is presented in Singapore by Base Entertainment Asia under the direction of Chantal Prudhomme. The show is produced on Broadway and internationally by Max Martin, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Jenny Petersson, Martin Dodd.
& JULIET’S original creative team includes David West Read (Book), Max Martin (Music & Lyrics), Luke Sheppard (Direction), Jennifer Weber (Choreography), Soutra Gilmour (Set Design), Paloma Young (Costume Design), Bill Sherman (Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements), Howard Hudson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design) and Andrzej Goulding (Video & Projection Design).
Singapore Performance Season:
21 September to 8 October 2023
Performance Times (Singapore Time):
- Tuesday to Friday: 8.00pm
- Saturday: 2.00pm and 8.00pm
- Sunday: 1.00pm and 6:30pm
Performance Duration:
150 minutes including a 20-minute intermission
Ticket Booking Links:
a. 4 Bayfront Ave, B1, Singapore 018973 | Sands Theatre
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