Music and Lyrics by Max Martin and Friends. Book by David
West Read. Directed by Charlotte Morphett and James Tolhurst-Close.
Choreographers Charlotte Morphett and James Tolhurst-Close. Musical director
Callum Tolhurst-Close. The Q Theatre. March 31 to April 26.
& Juliet is a strange creation but quite understandable once you realise it’s one of those juke box musicals, which is why a lot of the songs might sound familiar. Younger audiences will probably get all of this. Older audiences will get the Shakespeare upon which it is based. Some, young or old, might hopefully get both.
Little quotes and references to the original turn up along the way with a certain nudging of the audience to make sure they register.
It’s a cheerful high energy piece but there are undercurrents. A bluff and hearty Shakespeare (Jackson Gibbs) is writing Romeo and Juliet. Wife Anne Hathaway (Vanessa Valois) raises some objections to the tragedy and poses a ‘what if?. What if Juliet (Chloe Stevenson) had survived to make choices about her life?
And in this version she certainly does. Instead of using the dagger she sets out on a journey that involves Paris (the city, not the character), a possible marriage to the wonderfully earnest Francois (Tate Sissian) and a heap of self discovery.
This being a somewhat wild and imaginative take on the story, you might expect a resurrection from the arrogant Romeo (Mackinley Brown), a lot of rich carry on from Angelique the Nurse ( Katie Lis) who is being courted by the forthright Lance (David Santolin) and a different vein of unrequited love from the marvellously fey May (Joshua Kirk) who pines for Francois. Juliet’s parents (Grace Thornton and Sam Thomson) in a strikingly cold image haunt much of her decision making.
A lusty and hard working chorus back all of this up, deftly playing all the necessary smaller roles with aplomb and integrating the set changes with the energy of the show. It’s enjoyable to see set changes being done by people in costume and in character and it drives the show with a real visual bounce. And the hidden orchestra up the back under conductor Callum Tolhurst-Close stay strong in support.
There’s warmth and fitting tensions in the acting, with Gibbs and Valois nicely convincing as Will Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway and Stevenson sustaining a powerful Juliet throughout the piece.
It all has the virtue of allowing reflection on the original
and the very young lives that are wasted in pursuit of passion. & Juliet
takes a more pragmatic view of events and Stevenson ’s Juliet here comes
through into a glowing independence.
Free-Rain’s production serves as a great companion piece to the original Shakespeare and deserves full audiences at The Q.
Alanna Maclean
