Review: & Juliet at Crown Theatre

& Juliet at Crown Theatre
Sunday, January 7, 2023

The revival of the eight-time Olivier Award-nominated musical & Juliet is set to shake the cobwebs out of Perth with an electrifying cast and breathtaking show.

The crowd at Sunday’s & Juliet was certainly more colourful than usual, dressed in their most glamorous, out-there, or just generally expressive outfits, ready to see one of the strongest celebrations of identity and self-expression to grace the Crown stage in recent years.

Offering a hilarious and heartwarming remedy to the age-old frustration that the story of Juliet, the eponymous tragic heroine of Shakespeare’s beloved classic, ended so unfairly, the show asks, ‘What if Romeo’s ending was Juliet’s beginning?’ Finding Juliet once again alive and at a crossroads in her young life, the question of ‘what next’ beautifully unfurls into a tale of self-belief, radical self-expression, love, honesty, and second chances.

Initial expectations of this ‘jukebox’ musical admittedly anticipated an eye-rollingly cheesy attempt to coddle disinterested punters with lazily selected songs forced into barely appropriate moments of bland dialogue; however, these expectations were immediately quashed as the show unfolded in spectacular fashion. Throughout the show, the selection of beloved pop songs ranged dramatically from Kelly Clarkson to The Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears. While often humorous and occasionally heartbreaking, one thing that could be said for the selection of songs was that it was consistently perfect. Each song successfully drove the action and complemented the story to the extent that they almost appeared original to the musical. Each song underwent a superb ‘musical’ treatment, turning the likes of Katy Perry into showstopping broadway-ready numbers and avoiding the bland pop-song-cover disaster that so often plagues this genre.

From the first song, the cast were captivating as an ensemble, bringing a fresh and exciting energy to the stage that radiated to the back rows. Leading actress Lorinda May Merrypor was breathtaking as Juliet Capulet, bringing a girlish excitement and wonder to the role, which was completely infectious. Armed with a powerhouse voice and clearly not afraid to use it, Merrypor is an actress to watch as she carves her place among Australia’s next generation of esteemed performers.

Merrypor was joined by a supporting cast of Australian icons, including Amy Lehpamer, who was radiant as Anne Hathaway, nailing the mischievous and ardently optimistic character with a killer voice to match. Likewise, Casey Donovan wowed, as per usual, as Angelique, Juliet’s nurse, bringing a comedic edge to the role, which was skillfully executed. Performing alongside Hayden Tee, who was hilariously endearing, the two delighted as the unofficial comic relief.

James Elmer understudied Rob Mill’s William Shakespeare and executed the chaotic matchmaker, portraying an endearingly headstrong and utterly clueless bard, breathing unique life into an often-portrayed character and skillfully making it his own. Blake Appelqvist’s Romeo was the perfect Elizabethan ‘himbo’ and 'sad boy’, and played dynamically against Merrypor’s Juliet, while Yashith Fernando’s shy and candid ‘Francois’ was quietly superb.

Jesse Dutlow was exquisite as May. Bringing sincerity and gravity to the role of Juliet’s best friend, Dutlow’s unapologetic and incredibly raw portrayal of May was masterful. Dutlow is clearly a performer on the rise.

Jennifer Weber’s pop-inspired, broadway choreography was a delight, with fast-paced showstoppers and ingenious uses of the staging space. Performers engaged with every inch of the stage and set, ensuring constantly dynamic and visually engaging moments, even in more mellow moments. This was paired with costumes that ingeniously modernised Elizabethan and Tudor aesthetics into contemporary pieces, always keeping the heart of the original story close to the designs but improving it tenfold with exciting colours and shapes.

Likewise, Soutra Gilmour’s set design was an elegant cacophony of colour and shapes, which paid homage to both the opulence of historic Elizabethan fashion in Paris and to the daring excesses of 1920s and 1930s broadway settings. Offsetting this with an ‘urban-chic’ edge in the brickwork and the sense of found-spacing ultimately produced a set that felt at all times alive and effortlessly embodied a range of places. This was also aided by the dynamic lighting design, which masterfully captured the romance of a Parisian night or an extravagant party with ease, breathing emotion into the set. The set was also paired with an impressively large digital screen, which enhanced the set with beautiful projected images without suffocating the visual appeal of the physical elements.

Occasionally the script felt as though it wandered through the plot, as though writing itself in the present and sometimes interrupting the pacing of the show. Particularly in the second act, in which the character relationships and the hard-earned dramatic tension seemed to become confused in the chaos of so many conflicting plot lines. However, any fault in the story was completely negligible in light of the flawless choreography and design elements of the show.

Overall, this show can only be described as a love letter to everyone who's ever wanted a second chance. Its wholesome and unapologetic celebration of being true to oneself, in whatever form that takes, was refreshing and a testament to the clear vision and understanding of the creatives involved. This show was a massive hug in shiny musical form. No single element of the production design, casting, choreography, or music could be faulted. & Juliet is a story for everyone, regardless of whether they’re a 'musical' person, a theatre regular, a Capulet, or a Montague. This show will leave you singing along. & Juliet is showing at the Crown Theatre until Thursday, February 8, 2024.

BEC WELDON