Juliet's happily ever after gets extended, plus new conditional & Juliet return date announced
The West End production of & Juliet: Her Musical announced on Twitter today: "De Bois Band's back on Friday 28 May!" The return date, of course, is conditional on the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. The musical has also extended its run through to February 2022.
The musical was a sleeper hit with lacklustre pre-sales before its London premiere. It has now gone on to become a major West End sensation with 13 WhatsOnStage Awards under its belt, including the awards for Best New Musical, Best Actress, and Best Actor. & Juliet first opened at the Manchester Opera House (which was also the venue for last year's world premiere of Back to the Future The Musical). It is directed by Luke Sheppard and features a book by David West Read, choreography by Jennifer Weber, costume design by Paloma Young, and set design by Soutra Gilmour.
Will the pre-COVID & Juliet cast be returning?
It has yet to be confirmed whether the original West End cast of & Juliet will be reprising their roles. Before the pandemic rolled around in full swing in mid-March 2020, forcibly shutting down theatres across the country, & Juliet starred Miriam-Teak Lee in the lead role as Juliet Capulet. She was joined on stage by Arun Blair-Mangat as May, Cassidy Janson as Anne Hathaway, David Bedella as Lance, Jordan Luke Gage as Romeo, Melanie La Barrie as Nurse, Oliver Tompsett as William Shakespeare, and Tim Mahendran as Francois.
The cast is completed by ensemble members Alex Tranter, Antoine Murray-Straughan, Billy Nevers, Christopher Parkinson, Danielle Fiamanya, Dillon Scott-Lewis, Grace Mouat, Ivan De Freitas, Jaye Marshall, Jocasta Almgill, Josh Baker, Kerri Norville, Kieran Lai, Kirstie Skivington, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Rhian Duncan, and Sophie Usher.
Is & Juliet any good?
In her review of & Juliet The Musical for London Theatre Direct, Jade Ali thought the show was worth the hype, stating: "These Max Martin songs are so diverse and all equally brilliant, and whether they’re your favourites or not, there is no denying that they have been some of the biggest songs of all time." She later went on to say: "Not only did I feel like I was about to burst with joy but glancing around I could see huge smiles shining from everyone in the audience."
The musical features such timeless musical classics as Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time", Ariana Grande's "Break Free", Katy Perry's "Roar", Backstreet Boy's "Everybody", The Weekend's "Can't Feel My Face", Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do" (from Fifty Shades of Grey), and many more!
& Juliet is a non-stop, feel-good joy ride from start to finish and is bound to have you dancing in your seat as you mouth Max Martin's infectious lyrics you know and love so well. Don't miss the comeback of & Juliet this summer!