& Juliet the musical at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff – review

Thanks for providing us with review tickets for & Juliet the musical at Wales Millennium Centre

What if Juliet didn’t die at the end and instead went off to have a fabulous adventure that involved swinging from a chandelier at a party, becoming best friends with William Shakespeare’s wife in disguise, and watching CBeebies Dr Ranj with a French accent singing in a boy band?

It sounds far-fetched but this is exactly what happens in & Juliet, which opened last night at Wales Millennium Centre. The West End and Broadway hit is in Cardiff for two weeks, the last stop on its first UK tour. It’s one of the most fun and energetic musicals you could see with plenty of heart and humour that’ll have you laughing out loud all night. Not to mention singing along to a brilliant soundtrack of pop songs from the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys and more.

We first saw it in London two and a half years ago and loved its alternative take on Juliet’s fate. I’ve been so excited to have it here in Cardiff and judging by the buzz in the Donald Gordan Theatre last night, I wasn’t the only one.

& Juliet the musical at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

The fun starts even before the show begins, with a fabulous selfie booth in Wales Millennium Centre’s foyer. Here, you can listen to the soundtrack and pose in pink feather boas and sunglasses. Last night, we even saw some of the cast members dressing up and taking selfies before the show. 

An extra special press night treat

Even more exciting though, was that before the show began, we reviewers were treated to a dance class. Two members of the cast taught us an actual routine from the show, giving us an understanding of the sheer amount of work that goes into putting together a high energy professional production such as & Juliet.

Fresh from their own technical rehearsal Andilé Mabhena and Michael Nelson, both members of the ensemble, taught us some of the moves from Katy Perry’s Roar, one of the final numbers in the show. My ongoing spinal issue meant I didn’t manage the whole workshop but wow, these performers work hard! We only learned the steps for a couple of lines of the song and it was exhausting! The cast do this for two hours, eight times a week, for months and months. It was an incredible experience getting a glimpse into what makes a hit stage musical. And yes, all of us who were took part were subtly doing the moves in our seats when ‘our’ song came on.

An award-winning West End and Broadway hit

But back to the show. & Juliet premiered in 2019 at the Manchester Opera House. It opened in the West End in November 2019, where it received three Oliver Awards and six What’s On Stage Awards. And then came Broadway in 2022.

Created by David West Read, the Emmy-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, it’s a fun and vibrant musical. It gives a voice not only to Juliet but Anne Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare. They feature as themselves arguing over how the story should unfold and also as characters within the story themselves. A classic ‘juke box musical’, the pop soundtrack comes from Max Martin, the songwriter and producer behind more number one hits than any other artist this century.

Who is in the cast of & Juliet UK tour?

Laura Denning is brilliant as Anne and my favourite performer of the night. She wittily banters with her husband but also gets to the emotional heart of a women who was left at home with her daughters, grieving the death of her son, and having no idea what her playwright husband was up to. She has some really funny moments as April, one of Juliet’s best friend, and shows how differently the famous character could have developed had a female been writing the play.

Jay McGuiness from pop band The Wanted is William Shakespeare. I’m always a bit dubious about ‘names’ in musical theatre shows but I really liked his dry humour and vocally he’s perfect in the role.

And talking of celebrity names, I can’t not mention Ranj Singh, who many of us with kids will know as Dr Ranj from CBeebies Get Well Soon. He plays Lance, father of François, who Juliet meets in Paris. His French accent and romance with Juliet’s nurse Angeliqué give so many comedy moments and although his wasn’t the strongest performance of the night I really loved seeing this new side of the famous TV doctor.

We all need an Angeliqué in our corner

Sandra Marvin plays Angeliqué and she has us all laughing out loud with her comic movements and one liners. And then, just when we think we have her sussed, she sings F**kin’ Perfect to Juliet, who is doubting herself and her ability to make the right decisions with so much passion and emotion, I had a little tear in my eye. We all need an Angeliqué in our corner. 

Gerardine Sacdalan plays Juliet. Straight from drama school, she’s a confident performer who gives the role the youthfulness it needs as Juliet discovers more about who she is, what she wants and that she isn’t defined by her mistakes.

I love how inclusive & Juliet is with its casting and storylines, in particular with the wonderful character of May (Jordan Broatch) who has a journey of self-identity and finding love.

A brilliant show for teens and tweens

The whole show is so much fun to look at. The set is bright and edgy, with huge light-up letters and colourful lighting. The costumes fuse Elizabethan period clothing with modern style, and the choreography is so expressive it’s like a pop concert at times.

The age guidance 8+ and this show is definitely a good one for families – my children were 13, 11 and 9 when we saw it in London and all absolutely loved it. There are a few strong swear words and sexual references but generally the content is appropriate. They’ll likely know lots of the music and it’s great to see them getting a new take on Shakespeare and addressing that women’s voices were so unrepresented at the time.  .

& Juliet the musical at Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday 28 June with performances at 7.30pm Monday to Saturday and 2.30pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets, priced from £17, are still available.

Running time is 2h 30 including interval. Age guidance is 8+ with no admittance to under 2s. BSL performance on Thursday 19 June at 7.30pm.

Book online here.

Let me know in the comments if you’ll be watching & Juliet the musical at Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff

The producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays

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