Hit jukebox musical & Juliet roars onto the amateur theatre stage in spectacular style.

Having often prided themselves on having the ability to recreate commercial productions, CLOC Musical Theatre takes a more creative approach to the non-professional premiere season of & Juliet, the performance licence of which stipulates staging a non-replica production. Under the guidance of a talented and collaborative artistic team, the results are fabulous, all the more entertaining for audiences already familiar with the original production. 

Mining the extensive pop catalogue of composer Max Martin, the book writer David West Read crafts a rollicking original story riffing on a new ending to immortal tragedy Romeo and Juliet. A jubilant comedy, the storytelling celebrates diversity and delivers a clear message of inclusion, empowerment, and self-love. This heartfelt message is always a boon to audiences, and will now be lived out by cast members around the country as the musical rolls out future seasons. 

Director Karl McNamara corrals the high wattage energy needed to sell the show, capitalising on the close proximity of cast and audience at the National Theatre to boost audience engagement and forge strong bonds across the footlights. While & Juliet is written to begin loud and stay loud, McNamara delivers touching scenes in the welcome quiet moments. Working in a distinctly unified style, lead performers strike the perfect balance of larger than life exuberance and authentic sincerity to ensure that the beating heart of the musical shines through. 

Musical director Dan Heskett makes deceptively easy work of the range of pop styles to deliver a musical performance as exciting as any live concert. Unseen through the show, the band members take a well earned bow on stage at the curtain calls. From the opening number “Larger Than Life” onwards, ensemble vocals are at a premium, with lush harmonies a clear feature. Instrumentals and vocals are amplified and balanced with reliable precision by sound designer Marcello Lo Ricco.

Choreographer Felicity Bender complements McNamara’s style with lively, tightly drilled dance that is a total pleasure to watch. It is clear that the work of McNamara, Heskett, and Bender is seen at its best due to the fact that CLOC has been able to cast & Juliet with a full company of highly talented triple threat performers.

Set designer Mike Fletcher and lighting designer Andrei Chlebnikowski work as one to present an ever–changing, dazzling staging. While the constructed sets are just a little cumbersome in their frequent movement, embedded lighting in the sets allows for fantastic use of vivid, atmospheric colour. Full company numbers soar with the concert-style lighting effects. 

Highly accomplished costume designer Victoria Horne outdoes her own usual sky–high standard, crafting an extraordinary set of costumes that correspond to the mashup of street wear and deconstructed Tudor style of the professional production whilst being wholly original, inventive, and witty in their own right. The depth of Horne’s skill is seen in the fact that the beauty of the costumes does not interfere with their suitability for high energy dance, the full company looking completely comfortable whilst also looking gorgeously attired.

Guada Bañez leads the company as Juliet, her soaring belt in “…Baby One More Time” setting a high standard for the performance to come. Enjoying chemistry with all her fellow performers, Bañez struggles a little with Juliet’s daffy humour but portrays Juliet’s arc of self discovery to inspiring perfection.

McNamara cannily increases the stage time of William Shakespeare, allowing confident performer Sam Anderson to make a strong and engaging impact in the role. Sharon Wills is a delight as Anne Hathaway, deftly balancing the light comedy of the role with an undercurrent of sincerity and passion.

Mak Russell Gill makes a memorable local debut as dear May, more than capably taking the audience along the young character’s discovery of love and self. Will Woods makes for a terrific Francois, underpinning the young man’s romantic awakening with endearing vulnerability. 

Shaun Kingma plays somewhat against type as French patriarch Lance Du Bois, neatly balancing commanding authority with the bubbly rediscovery of a past love. Sarahlouise Younger brings plenty of hearty verve to nurse Angelique, her commitment to the role a key factor in the success of the delivery of the musical’s message of self-love. 

Tim Maguire gamely channels the requisite amount of narcissism to colour Romeo as a self-serving love rat. Melanie Ott is the definition of luxury casting in the featured role of Lady Capulet, ably supported by Sujanthan Satkunarajah as Lord Capulet. (Side note: Ott’s Lady Capulet costume would be at home on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in a season of Donizetti’s Tudor Queens trilogy.)

Local musical theatre lovers who enjoyed the recent mainstage season of & Juliet are strongly encouraged to flock to National Theatre to enjoy the musical all over again in this fresh and exciting production. 

& Juliet plays at National Theatre, St Kilda until 25 October 2025. For tickets, click here. 

Photos: Ben Fon