& Juliet at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Everybody!... should see this show whilst it's out on tour. After falling in love with this show on the West End I knew I had to see the tour as soon as it was announced and I was not disappointed by the immense talent of the cast and the show.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

Whilst I adore & Juliet I could not help but feel that this tour had an almost pantomime feeling. The show was still incredible and all of the cast are extremely talented, but there was an underlying sense of pantomime throughout the show. I am aware that I have not seen & Juliet for a while, and I may have simply not noticed it at previous performances I attended, however, it was something that I felt aware of and felt would be worth mentioning. That being said, I would still urge people to see this show whilst it is out on tour as it is a feel-good show with fabulous singing and engaging choreography that never misses a beat, which is a credit to the talent of the ensemble who are the Players and the choreographer, Jennifer Weber.

Before the show, the Players interact with the audience, which creates an immersive feeling, drawing the audience into the show whilst also allowing them to inform the audience of the rules, such as not filming or recording the show in any way. The show opens with Larger Than Life which introduces the audience to William Shakespeare (Matt Cardle.), the Players (Toni Pase, Alexander Kranz, Andilé Mabhena, Sam Wilson-Freeman, Pslams Nissi Myers-Reid, Michael Nelson, Katie Ramshaw, Aaron Shales, Rosie Singha and Nia Stephen) and Anne Hathaway (Lara Denning). This is a wonderful introduction to the show as it presents the characters and personalities of Matt Cardle and Lara Denning, which helps to set the atmosphere for their relationship, which is pivotal to the plot and outcome of the show. Matt Cardle leads this song with brilliant vocals and a hilarious characterisation of William Shakespeare which is perfect for the role. Larger Than Life leads into I Want It That Way which is led by Lara Denning who has an absolutely insane voice and it was during Act 2, That's The Way It Is, when the audience is able to hear the full range of her vocal ability and I was stunned by her talent and her delivery of the final range of that song which must be heard to be truly understood and appreciated. Gerardine Sacdalan is first introduced as Juliet during ...Baby One More Time with stunning vocals, however it was her infectious energy and characterisation alongside these vocals which really sold me on how perfectly cast she was as Juliet. I was blown away by her solo in Blow as her ability to sing so impressively whilst hanging from a chandelier is a true showcase of her talent and I truly believe she has a bright future in theatre. Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely is brilliantly used to showcase the Players and give the audience an insight into the character of Romeo whilst also providing fuel for Juliet’s future decisions. This is a wonderfully comedic moment of the show and I always look forward to being able to hear various Players shine. I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet A Woman was performed by Jordan Broatch as May, their rendition left me in awe with the quality and beauty of their voice. Furthermore, I felt that Jordan Broatch’s portrayal of May was perfect for the role as I, as an audience member, felt as though I was able to see and understand what May was going through throughout the show. Later on, Jordan Broatch was able to showcase the more pop-singing aspect of their voice through their duet with Kyle Cox (Francois) of I Kissed a Girl. This is a brilliant moment of vocal talent and choreography which is essential for the plot of the show. Kyle Cox further showcased their wonderful characterisation during the duet of Overprotected with Gerardine Sacdalan which perfectly blends comedy and performance for an incredibly enjoyable moment during the show. Ranj Singh (Lance) and Sandra Marvin (Angelique) duet Teenage Dream/Break Free. The song has a comedic sense woven through its performance, which is well-showcased by Ranj Singh and Sandra Marvin. This was an immensely entertaining moment within the show and I was in stitches from start to finish. Sandra Marvin flaunted fabulous vocals during her rendition of F**ckin’ Perfect which left me in complete awe of her talent. I was able to see Liam Morris as Romeo, who is the 1st cover for the role. His It’s My Life was utterly incredible with a blend of rock vocals and talent to produce one of my favourite moments of the show. His characterisation was perfect for Romeo, especially in his delivery of lines and interaction with other cast members.

This show is definitely one to see whilst it’s out on tour and it would be such a shame to miss seeing this fabulous cast!

Content Warnings:

I could not see any content warnings displayed around the theatre, however I did make note of some moments during the show that I felt should be mentioned, which are as follows:

Bright and Flashing Lights
Loud Music
Haze

Also, I watched the show from the front row and despite a gap between myself and the stage for the orchestra pit, I could still very strongly feel the bass of the show. During some songs, such as It's My Life, this became fairly uncomfortable and distracting for me.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer