& Juliet – REVIEW
Image: & JULIET at Sydney Lyric. credit: Daniel Boud
You would be forgiven for thinking you had somehow journeyed back to the 1990s and were watching a music video show on TV, one where all the videos are themed around Shakespeare and have been loosely tied together by a cute if convoluted narrative. That’s what new Broadway sensation, & Juliet feels like.
With its songs drawn entirely from the catalogue of hit machine extraordinaire, Max Martin, and its very high production values, this reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is energetic, thrilling and very entertaining, but perhaps lacking in substance.
The book is by David West Read of Schitt’s Creek fame, and it is as funny as you’d expect, although sometimes the puns are overbearing. There are hints of a good idea in there somewhere but it is sacrificed so that as many Max Martin hits as possible can be shoe-horned in.
It’s a problem with all juke-box musicals — the songs can never do what a custom-written original can to enhance the story. Hearing Martin’s tunes bundled together like this makes their formulaic nature very conspicuous. They also lack the range that is typical of many conventional musical theatre soundtracks.
The promise of a stronger, more independent Juliet with a meatier arc is never quite delivered on. In fact, she probably has the least interesting journey among the main characters. Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, has much more grist, although even her arc starts to sag before it reaches a satisfying apex.
If you’re not here for plot or character development, then you will enjoy what is ultimately pure unbridled fun and entertainment.
Certainly, the performances can’t be faulted. All the leads are powerful and you get a strong sense that every one is having a great time up there on stage.
