And Juliet, Edinburgh Playhouse review****: joyful musical jukebox that raises the bar

If you are going to stage a jukebox musical, then this is the template to follow.

And Juliet is fun, with a capital F - noisy, colourful, irresistible and razor sharp. I think I learned more about William Shakespeare in one night at the Playhouse than I did at school. Okay, it may not all have been true, but it was ‘way more enjoyable than those dire classes about the Bard …

It mixes and matches modern and Elizabethan times with a joie de vivre as it sets about re-writing Romeo And Juliet just for sheer pleasure. There was a real buzz in the theatre even before And Juliet started as the cast sauntered on, waved at us with boundless enthusiasm and then decided to get the show started - and what a show it is.

Max Martin’s jukebox musical - and yes, it even has a jukebox of stage to emphasise the point - starts from the premise, what if Juliet didn’t kill herself after Romeo’s death, but, instead, went off a forged a new life packed with adventures? And what if Shakespeare’s quill was snapped up by his wife Ann Hathaway to re-work key moments and create that narrative while also sparring with her wordsworth of a hubby? Welcome to Shakespeare meets Now That’s What I Call Music …

To enjoy or not enjoy, that is the question - actually it’s a no brainer. However strange it sounds, it works because the writing of David West Read is laugh out loud superb, and the cast deliver a high energy show that packs a real punch with its big numbers. Their enthusiasm simply radiates off the stage in a story that celebrates diversity and empowerment and knows how to deliver a great pop song or 25 – and those songs are wovenly perfectly into the story rather than just dropped in for the sake of it.

Michael Nelson stepped in as understudy for Matt Cardle in the role of Shakespeare on press night and was superb. Together with the excellent Lara Denning (Ann) they spun round the story with sharp wit and great chemistry as the Bard sees his original narrative unravelled until he steps in with a plot twist of his own.

Geraldine Sacdalan as Juliet is a joy to watch - endless energy, and boy she nailed her big numbers, as did Sandra Marvin as Angelique/Nurse, but there were great performances across the board.

Jordan Broatch (May) and Kyle Cox (Francois) delivered a poignant love story while Jack Danson had a blast as Romeo, descending from the skies like a rock god, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s Ranj Singh - from This Morning and Strictly - more than holding his own as Francois’ dad and joining a boy band that pulls every trick in the Backstreet Boys playbook.

And just in case the brilliant colours on stage aren’t enough, brace yourself for canons of gold ticker tape and confetti. The audience loved it. Not sure the cleaners say the same thing when they turn up each morning, though …

> And Juliet is at the Playhouse Theatre until Satudday, November 16,. Ticket info HERE