& Juliet storms the Sheffield Lyceum this May, with the west-end blockbuster reframing the classic romantic tragedy to great effect. Ironic gender-bending, scenes of female empowerment married to laddish disruption, there is something for everyone here. Soundtracked to Swedish pop-anthem writer Max Martin, songs from the catalogues of the Backstreet Boys and Bob Jovi to Jessie J and Katy Perry boom from Verona to Shoreditch. It’s a journey worth taking for partygoers and story-lovers alike.
The design of this show is particularly astounding. Audiences are treated to perhaps one of the most dynamic and alive sets they’re likely to see on stage. Stellar skylines are transient and embellish the shifting fixtures beautifully. The lighting design is also ambitious, bold and handled effectively, with a good understanding of scope. Strobes streak across the stage for colossal pop numbers, adorning the stage in gold, whilst bowing to a blue hue for moodier numbers. The band are excellent, and the sound design is admirable, but it does appear that there is some restraint in some vocal performances – especially when there is a choir of voices lending themselves to one of the show’s iconic pop tracks.
David West Read’s script is water-tight, punchy and bursting with great comedy and emotive narrative. It is equally as goofy and silly in parts as it is provocative and socially conscious in others. In truth, Read’s script gets some of this UK tour’s cast out of jail a bit, as it does appear that some comedic sensibilities are not fully understood. The result of this is some awkward execution for gags and asides, subtle enough to not be overly noticeable but noticeable enough to not achieve the laughs it sets out to. The danger of this is it leaves some sections of this work antagonistically obnoxious. Fortunately, this is sparse, and for the majority of this retelling of love and love lost there are a refreshing number of laughs to be had.
Our star-crossed (or in Romeo’s case, crossed out) lovers in Benjamin Jackson Walker and Gerardine Sacdalan prove their worth in triple threat talent. Walker seems more comfortable as a comedic vessel than Sacdalan, however, who seems reliant on the script as the vehicle for humour. Jay McGuinness as William Shakespeare is a slight improvement on this and certainly grows into the second act, but it’s the powerful Lara Denning who truly shows us how it’s done in this work with a masterful performance. Denning’s accuracy in her humour, emotion and song is brilliant. She is challenged only by Sandra Marvin’s wickedly funny and impressive performance as Angelique, who is complimented by a very strong Lance, played by Michael Nelson on this night. There is an excellent playfulness to their work.
Everything you would expect from a modern West End hit can be found here, and running until the 31st May, there’s plenty of time to jump in the carriage with Juliet and the gang to see what would have happened if she didn’t die that night with Romeo. The answer? Lots.
Reviewer: Louis Thompson
Reviewed: 20th May 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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