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Tag: Shaftesbury Theatre

  • THEATRE REVIEW | & Juliet, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | & Juliet, London

    ★★★★★ | & Juliet, Shaftsbury Theatre, London

    A new musical loosely, very loosely, based on the classic Romeo & Juliet is raising the roof down (not literally) at the Shaftsbury Theatre.

    & Juliet is the hottest and most unique musical to hit town this year. It takes bits and pieces from Romeo & Juliet and reshapes the story line, with excellent twists along the way, to give us a modern day, very modern day, love story that is unique, timely, explosive, and lots of fun.

    Based around the songs of Max Martin (you might not know his name but you sure know his songs, pop classics such as ‘Baby One More Time,’ ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ ‘Roar,’ the list goes on and on – songs that were sung by superstars such as Brittany Spears, N’Sync, Jessie J, Ed Sheehan, the list goes on and on) are reinterpreted here in & Juliet.

    There is lots going on in this show, but thanks to the music and lyrics by Martin and Friends (this is what the program states) and cleverly intertwined with a book by David West Read, and excellent direction by Luke Sheppard, we get William Shakespeare (a natural Oliver Tompsett) and his love Anne Hathaway (an extremely talented Cassidy Johnson) writing the plot of the show while we watch the show (clever!).

    And the show within the show has Juliet Miriam-Teak Lee newly single after the death of Romeo. She also finds out Romeo had many many lovers.

    But she is still not deterred in her quest to find romance and quickly meets Francois (Tim Mahendran), the son of very rich playboy Lance (a brilliant David Badella who steals every scene he is in). Lance is very keen to have his son marry the beautiful Juliet. But Francois has never really ever been with anyone before and at the same time meets the dashing May (Arun Blair-Mangat), a man who likes the friendship of women but romance with men. So it all gets a bit complicated, especially when Romeo (Jordan Luke Gage) shows up! What a mess!

    From beginning to end & Juliet is high energy throughout, thanks to a cast who work very hard in scenes that are superbly choreographed to the nth degree (Jennifer Weber). And most of the songs in the show were major hits so you find yourself humming along – it’s like welcoming a new friend back into your life. But besides the music, it’s the cast who really bring this to life. Tompsett and Janson work so well together on stage, they really complement each other. Teak-Lee as Juliet can really belt out numbers, but it’s Badella as the dashing Lance so willing to give up his son in marriage to anyone who steals the show. His French accent, his facial expressions, and also his dance moves are just all so brilliant.

    Give this man an Olivier now!

    & Juliet will be the most fun you’ll have at the theatre this year. And with a potpourri of hit songs in the show, & Juliet is sure to last a long time.

    & Juilet plays at the Shaftersbury Theatre until 30th May 2020, book tickets

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre

    America and Britain’s Got Talent has quite the same format and it’s this bi-coastal variety TV show that springs to mind and also celebrates the essence of The Illusionist.

    The Illusionist recently opened on Broadway in New York and currently running simultaneously with a different batch of Illusionist’s in London’s West End. I was accompanied by someone who was going to make this show her first Broadway experience and how rapid did any excitement dissolve and replaced with disappointment as the show came across as a highly, taut, expensive and stretched variety show.

    Audience participation was relied on and the faces on the unlucky chosen were illusions of willing victims that seemed as though they were not embarrassed to be on stage but more so embarrassed to be associated with some of acts.

    Ok, so despite the show being a glamorised magic show (thanks to the heavy advertising and prestigious theatres that house these shows), there were a few steals to be had. The Anti Conjuror shocked the audience by regurgitating a few razor blades that were strung through a piece of floss, ‘’how did he do that?’’, muttered the audience whilst covering their children’s eyes.

    Technology was revealed on stage by The Futurist and his acts with bright technology and perfect timing were very welcomed – finally something decent and suitable for the kids in the audience.

    No magic show is complete without someone escaping from something – The Escapologist made sure that was served up whilst being hung upside down in flames (of course).

    The Trickster continued to blow fresh air throughout the whole show with his adult focused comical one liners and had the kids muttering ‘’what does that mean?’’. The Trickster certainly left the stage with the adults wanting more.

    Good seats are important to view this show so everything on stage is beamed onto a screen for everyone that sits say beyond the 10th row in the orchestra. What’s the point of sitting beyond this and more so what’s appealing with going to a theatre to watch a screen?

    The Illusionists create their standalone performances so don’t expect them to interact together. The show doesn’t offer anything that most viewers haven’t seen before.

    I did leave the theatre thinking ‘’how did they do that…how does a show like this become Broadway worthy?’’ – that’s magic!

    The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre, London & Broadway, NYC, 14/11/15 – 03/01/16