The award-winning anthemic pop musical, & JULIET, is heading to Perth this December after a spectacular sold-out season in Melbourne.
The Australian production is led by Lorinda May Merrypor in the title role, Australian music industry legend Rob Mills will hold the quill as Shakespeare, while music theatre icon Amy Lehpamer tries to rewrite the narrative as his wife Anne.
& JULIET flips the script on the greatest love story ever told, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo, and got a second chance at life and love – on her terms. Juliet’s new uplifting story of self-discovery and empowerment bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name.
Nominated for 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical, & JULIET is created by the Emmy-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek and features an iconic playlist of pop anthems including Baby One More Time, Roar, Since You’ve Been Gone, Larger Than Life, That’s The Way It Is, Can’t Stop The Feeling, and more.
Playing that other half of the star-crossed lovers is recent Fangirls heartthrob Blake Appelqvist. Completing the dazzling cast of principals is star of the stage and ARIA #1 winner Casey Donovan as Angelique; Broadway, West End and Australian music theatre star Hayden Tee as Lance; and newcomers Jesse Dutlow as May and Yashith Fernando as Francois.
Joining them on stage is the cast of incredible players Georgia Anderson as Susanna, Jade Delmiguez as Eleanor, James Elmer as Kempe, Riley Gillas Imogen/Benvolio, Jerome Javier as Thomas, Giorgia Kennedy as Judith, Jordan Koulos as Richard, Sarah Murr as Lady Capulet/Nell, Coby Njoroge as Augustine, Jake O’Brien as Fletcher, Clay Roberts as Henry, Jacob Rozario as Gregory, Selina Salgadoe as Gwynne, Sean Sinclair as Lord Capulet/Sly, Nathan James Tamati as Cuthbert, Romy Vuksan as Margaret, Aadhya Wijegoonawardena as Viola and Imani Williams as Lucy.
“We were overjoyed with the response Melbourne had to & JULIET, and we can’t wait to hear Perth roar when the show opens there in December,” said Australian producer Michael Cassel.
“& JULIET is pure joy and audiences have fallen in love with the transformative blend of Max Martin’s iconic songs with the remixed take on Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers. I knew from the moment I saw it that & JULIET was must-see theatre – so don’t miss out!”
& JULIET first premiered on the West End in 2019 at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, where it was nominated for nine and went on to win three Olivier Awards, as well as six WhatsOnStage Awards, the most of any production that year. The show opened on Broadway in November 2022 to rave reviews and is still playing to packed houses.
The original creative team reunites for the Australian production and includes David West Read (Book), Max Martin (Music & Lyrics) Luke Sheppard (Direction), Jennifer Weber (Choreography), Bill Sherman (Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements), Soutra Gilmour (set design), Paloma Young (costume design), Howard Hudson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design) and Andrzej Goulding (Video Design).
& JULIET will play a strictly limited 6-week season at Crown Theatre, Perth from 30 December 2023 – 8 February 2024. Pre-sale tickets will be available from 28 August before the general public can access tickets through www.ticketmaster.com.au on 31 August. For more information and to join the waitlist, visit: www.andjuliet.com.au for details.
Image: Lorinda May Merrypor as Juliet and the Australian Company of & JULIET – photo by Daniel Boud