Presenting & Juliet a musical which dazzles and shimmies its way onto the stage at His Majesty Theatre from 4th-8th February 2025.
This loud and proud tale tells the story of Juliet. Where is Romeo you may ask? Well strap yourselves in because this tragic love story has a fierce twist! The story imagines what would have happened in Romeo & Juliet if Juliet had not died. With the help of Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway (no not that one!) who battles it out with her husband to rewrite Juliet’s story. Juliet and her friends go on an unforgettable adventure from Verona to Paris to find their own true identity and destiny.
This heartwarming production made its premiere in Manchester back in 2019 before swiftly making a move to its West End run which ended in 2023. In 2022 it opened on Broadway with the sparkling production still going strong til this day!
This roaring piece was created by Emmy award winning David West Read and has received three Olivier awards since 2019! Being a jukebox musical it delivers a nostalgic mixtape of pop classics such as Britney’s ‘Oops I did it Again’, Kelly Clarksons ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ and Backstreet Boys ‘I Want it That Way’ just to name a few! With each song perfectly providing a new purpose to highlight the characters’ challenges and emotions, they choose to love oneself instead of choosing the wrong type of love. The lyrics became more profound and helped tell the story in such a heartfelt way.
This production truly shone with its incredibly strong cast who managed to bring the energy and raise the roof on HMT. Gerardine Sacdalan gave an outstanding performance as the wholehearted but sassy Juliet! Her powerhouse vocals had the audience in amazement along with her 90s pop dance moves which were executed to perfection! She delivered the character with such style and ease- an absolute joy to watch! Gerardine is definitely one to watch out for in future productions!
Jordan Broatch portrayed Juliet’s trusty best friend ‘May’, a character who is on their own journey of self discovery. Jordan helped to provide the more gentle and touching moments throughout the show. His angelic vocals portray such raw emotion along with his effortless vocal runs which were a delight to the ear! Jay McGuiness stars the legendary “William Shakespeare” who narrates the whole story in a very witty and clever way! His pop vocals along with his crisp boyband moves had the audience in the palm of his hand and he got the crowd going during the big musical numbers!
Lara Denning portrays Anne Hathaway (again, not that one!) the no nonsense and unapologetic wife of Shakespeare. Dennings comedic physicality and facial expressions were just incredible to watch. Her captivating vocals were applauded with uproar by the audience. Her energy was formidable throughout- she makes everything she does on stage look so easy! Another stand out performance was Sandra Marvin who portrayed ‘Angelique’ another strong female presence in Juliet’s life. Her strong stage presence and sublime comedy timing is one to truly admire. Both these women drive the whole performance to help Juliet make her own choices and write her own story.
Lee Latchford-Evans (Lance) and Kyle Cox (Francois) portray a Father and son. Latcford-Evans exudes charm onstage with his extravagant French accent and dare I say his cheeky skin tight jeans (a sight I am sure that all the mothers and grandmothers will appreciate!) Cox portrays Francois as the complete opposite to Lance, offering us a very sincere take on his character who is just trying to find his path in life- something we can all relate to. Romeo is portrayed by the wonderfully charismatic Jack Danson who seamlessly portrays Romeo as naive and let’s just say a little self centred. Danson’s vocals shine especially on the rock numbers within the production which his gravelly voice complimented superbly!
The ensemble cast to this colourful and cheerful show was the absolute backbone to this production! From the flawless styled out dance moves which were worthy of any 90s pop music video to the infectious energy they brought throughout the entire performance!
Paloma Young’s costume design is not short of refreshing! I really enjoyed the elements of old meeting the new from the fitted corsets being paired with denim jeans and trainers! I felt the designs were well thought out to allow this production to shine through in a modern way but also to allow the dancers/performers to move comfortably around the stage!
Set design by Soutra Gilmour did not disappoint! From the big and bold signs lighting up centre like broadway to the rustic brick like features that surrounded the set that gave a cool downtown feel. Modern day props were scattered through the sets such as the musical jukebox seen in the corner which perfectly pays homage to this crowd-pleasing musical that audiences just adore.
This is by far one of the best jukebox musicals I have ever seen. The entire story and production was a breath of fresh air! The energy and passion from the whole cast reminded me why I love theatre so much- that support and family spirit is something you just can’t beat. This uplifting piece was truly a delight to watch and I urge anyone to see it and not come out with the biggest grin on their face! It captured my heart and I don’t doubt it will capture yours either!
Buy your tickets here: https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/juliet/
Theatre Scotland 
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