Juliet turns the tables on Romeo in hit musical romp

There was great excitement when the hit West End musical & Juliet had its Australian premiere at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in March 2023 and the buzz around the production featuring almost 30 songs by hitmaker Max Martin has been growing in the led-up to the Victorian non-professional premiere season by CLOC Musical Theatre on October 10.

CLOC has been staging musicals since 1964 and has built a reputation for producing top-quality productions. And & Juliet is no exception with creative staging, high-energy dancing, eye-catching Elizabethan-style costumes and an excellent cast for its season at the National Theatre, St Kilda.

The action starts with playwright William Shakespeare (played by Sam Anderson) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Sharon Wills) discussing his latest tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, when suddenly she seizes Shakespeare’s quill and begins to rewrite Juliet’s fate and introduces major plot changes, all to the backdrop of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way.

Swedish songwriter and record producer Martin has enjoyed great success since the late 1990s with a string of No.1 hits. Almost 30 of his songs seamlessly link the storyline including Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time, Katy Perry’s Roar, the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way and Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling.

The strong voices of the lead characters ensure the success of this production, whether in big production numbers with the large ensemble or solos and duets.

Filippino-Australian performer Guada Banez, in the title role of Juliet, may be short in stature but has the vocal power that makes her a powerhouse and has the audience cheering her along.

Joined by best friend May (May Gil), nurse Angelique (Sarahlouise Younger) and Hathaway in a dual role of another friend, April, they embark on a wild adventure in Paris that results in Juliet meeting a new love interest, Francois (Will Woods) after gatecrashing his birthday party.

And Romeo (Tim Maguire) gives a cheeky and likeable performance after returning to life.

While much of the musical is about young love, the sparks fly in the bedroom scene between older lovers Angelique and Lance (Shaun King).

The nine-piece orchestra under conductor Dan Heskett gives excellent musical accompaniment.

CLOC’s production of & Juliet is camp, cheeky, bold and brassy with a swag of hit songs that proved to be a delight.

CLOC’s production of & Juliet is at the National Theatre, St Kilda until October 25. Bookings: https://www.cloc.org.au/