‘Fabulously fun and full of female empowerment’: & Juliet, Opera House Manchester, reviewed

2024 07 12 Gerardine Sacdalan As Juliet Centre And The Cast In Juliet Credit Matt Crockett 1

Harley Young 12 July 2024

Harley Young enjoys an evening of Shakespeare’s greatest love story with a modern day twist

What: & Juliet

Where: Opera House Manchester

Running time: 2h 30m (inc. interval)

Tickets: From £13. Available to book here.

Opera House Manchester says: & Juliet is the hilariously irreverent new musical that proves when it comes to love, there’s always life after Romeo…

2024 07 12 Matt Cardle As Shakespeare Front Left And The Cast In Juliet Credit Matt Crockett — **Matt Cardle as Shakespeare (front left) and the cast in & Juliet** Image: Matt Crockett

What we say

Take the greatest love story ever written and flip it on its head.

It’s Shakespeare’s classic, but not as you know it.

In act one, we meet Juliet, a beautiful young woman mourning the loss of her husband Romeo. But wait, what if Shakespeare’s wife Anne took over the tale before Will had the chance to write Juliet’s unhappy ending?

Imagine if Juliet didn’t plunge a dagger into her heart after discovering the tragic loss of her dear Romeo and instead, well, just went on living her best life.

2024 07 12 Lto R Matt Cardle Lara Denning Gerardine Sacdalan Sandra Marvin In Juliet Credit Matt Crockett — **Left to Right: Matt Cardle, Lara Denning, Gerardine Sacdalan, Sandra Marvin** Image: Matt Crockett

Along with her best friends May (Jordan Broatch), April (Lara Denning) and Angelique (Sandra Marvin), Juliet (Gerardine Sacdalan) embarks on the trip of a lifetime to Paris to find herself, where new loves appear and old ones resurface.

From the brain of Dan Levy, the Emmy-winning writer of Schitt’s Creek, this hilarious and heartwarming musical ditches the typical damsel in distress narrative and replaces it with female empowerment and self discovery.

With a star-studded cast, including X Factor winner Matt Cardle as Shakespeare, Emmerdale’s Sandra Marvin as Angelique and doctor and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ranj Singh, this modern day romance is catapulted into the 21st century and accompanied by some of the most glittering pop anthems of the last three decades.

2024 07 12 Gerardine Sacdalan As Juliet Left And The Cast In Juliet Credit Matt Crockett — **Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet (left) and the cast in & Juliet** Image: Matt Crockett

Whether you’re into Britney, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry or Kelly Clarkson, there’s something for everyone and you’re guaranteed to be toe-tapping along as you root for your favourite character to find their true love.

After a spectacular run in London’s West End, & Juliet picked up three Olivier Awards and six WhatsOnStage Awards, and it’s no surprise why. The stage set up alone is incredibly impressive, not to mention the range of talent from the chosen cast.

This fantastic musical is on at Opera House Manchester until Saturday 20 July and with tickets from as little as £13, it's well worth the price.

If you’re looking for an evening of fabulousness, a heartwarming tale, and songs that are guaranteed to have you singing along, this is the show you’ve been waiting for.

2024 07 12 Matt Cardle As Shakespeare Centre And The Cast In Juliet Credit Matt Crockett — **Matt Cardle as Shakespeare (centre) and the cast in & Juliet** Image: Matt Crockett

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