& Juliet is a 2019 jukebox musical featuring the music of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, with a book by David West Read, in which Anne Hathaway negotiates with her husband, William Shakespeare, to change the ending to Romeo and Juliet so that Juliet does not kill herself. Juliet's parents plan to send her to a convent, so she flees to Paris, accompanied by her nurse, a friend and Anne herself, who writes herself into the play as a new character, "April". Shakespeare resists Anne's ideas, and the story unfolds as a tug-of-war between the two writers, with Juliet consequently buffeted between lovers and advisers, as Anne seeks a happy ending for her.
& Juliet premiered at the Manchester Opera House in September 2019, before transferring to the West End in November 2019. At the 2020 Laurence Olivier Awards, & Juliet received nine nominations and won three awards, including Best Actress in a Musical for Miriam-Teak Lee in the title role. The West End production also received a record-breaking 13 nominations at the 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards, ultimately winning six awards. The 2022 Broadway production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, but did not win any.
Synopsis Act One William Shakespeare is celebrated by the cast, at his first production of Romeo and Juliet, and welcomes the audience to his newest play ("Larger than Life"). Shakespeare introduces his wife, Anne Hathaway, who is visiting from Stratford-upon-Avon to see the play. She suggests he change the ending, wondering what would have happened if Juliet did not kill herself; Shakespeare greets the idea with displeasure ("I Want It That Way"). Nevertheless, he allows his wife to explain her idea for the further events of the play, beginning with Juliet waking up to find Romeo dead ("...Baby One More Time").
At Romeo's funeral, Juliet finds out that Romeo had many other relationships, with both men and women ("Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely") and, upon learning of their forbidden relationship, Juliet's parents decide they will send her to a convent. May, Juliet's non-binary friend, and Angelique, her nurse, come to her rescue, while Anne writes herself into the play as "April", another of Juliet's friends. The four of them decide to take a road trip to Paris ("Domino"). Anne writes Shakespeare into the story as the carriage driver, and the trip to Paris begins ("Show Me Love").
In France, a party is planned for François du Bois, a sensitive young musician. His father, Lance, tells him he must either marry or join the army, even though François does not wish to pursue either option. Juliet, Angelique, May, and April sneak into the party ("Blow"). François notices their arrival but does not mind them crashing his party. May tells Juliet about their struggles as a non-binary person in a binary world ("I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman"). François and Juliet begin to bond about their stifled lives and shared experiences ("Overprotected"). François finds himself attracted to Juliet, and they dance together ("Confident").
Angelique and Lance spend the night together, and it is revealed that she was formerly the nurse to his children. Lance asks her to stay, while Angelique wants to continue to mentor Juliet ("Teenage Dream/Break Free"). Juliet wakes up next to François, who proposes, but Juliet worries about rushing into a new relationship so soon after her tumultuous romance with Romeo ("Oops!... I Did It Again"). When her parents arrive to take her to the convent, however, she quickly accepts François's proposal. Anne is irritated that Shakespeare has taken up the quill to force Juliet into another abrupt marriage; she complains that he never writes about happy marriages.
Determined to introduce a conflict or a plot twist to Anne's version of the play, Shakespeare has François and May meet again. After the two share a sudden kiss, they both feel conflicted ("I Kissed a Girl"). Complicating situations, Shakespeare decides to bring Romeo back from the dead, despite Anne's protests. Romeo makes a flashy entrance, saying that he has come back for his wife ("It's My Life").
Act Two The arrogant, selfish Romeo finds Juliet, "forgives" her for not killing herself, and demands that she return to the marriage ("Love Me Like You Do"). Juliet reveals to Romeo that she is engaged to François ("Since U Been Gone"). Shakespeare is frustrated with Anne because Juliet did not submit to Romeo's view of events. Anne counters that giving Juliet's story a happy ending is important to her and protests that Shakespeare cares more about his plays than his family. Anne breaks Shakespeare's quill, so that neither of them can make further changes to the story. Meanwhile, May is annoyed that François is ignoring May's feelings and still planning on marrying Juliet ("Whataya Want from Me"), while Juliet complains to May that Romeo lied to and cheated on her. François is conflicted and increasingly uneasy because he hasn't told Juliet about his feelings for May.
Juliet meets again with Romeo, who reflects that he only ever felt valued for his looks and says that Juliet made him want to be a better person ("One More Try"). Despite their recent bonding, Juliet remains uncertain of her feelings towards Romeo ("Problem/Can't Feel My Face"). François's brother (in fact Shakespeare in disguise) invites Romeo to join the family band, which is booked to play at Juliet and François' wedding. Angelique, in the meantime, proposes to Lance.
Anne discovers that Juliet is still in love with Romeo and recounts her own romance with Shakespeare ("That's the Way It Is"). At the wedding, Lance, François, Shakespeare, May, and Romeo perform ("Everybody"). François reads his vows to Juliet ("As Long as You Love Me"). Confused by them, Juliet reneges on the marriage, and François confesses his feelings for May ("It's Gonna Be Me"). This prompts Romeo to again profess his love for Juliet, while her parents insist she return to Verona with them, which Juliet refuses to do ("Stronger"). Lance apologizes to François for trying to control his actions and accepts his and May's relationship ("Shape of My Heart"). Angelique reassures Juliet that she will never leave her ("Fuckin' Perfect"), but Juliet insists Angelique go with Lance, before taking charge of her own destiny ("Roar").
Shakespeare complains that Anne has ruined his play, and that he only brought back Romeo to give Juliet the happy ending he thought Anne wanted. Anne refutes this, saying she wants Juliet to be able to make her own choices. Realizing he has hurt Anne, Shakespeare apologizes ("I Want It That Way – Reprise"). Shakespeare and Anne agree there does not need to be a conclusive ending, rather a new beginning. Romeo apologizes to Juliet, and they decide to go on a first date, while Angelique and Lance get married, and François and May begin a relationship ("Can't Stop the Feeling!").
Cast and characters +CharacterManchesterWest EndBroadwayUK Tour US Tour20192022 2024Juliet Capulet Miriam-Teak LeeLorna Courtney Gerardine Sacdalan Rachel WebbAnne Hathaway/April Cassidy JansonBetsy WolfeLara Denning Teal WicksWilliam Shakespeare Oliver TompsettStark Sands Matt Cardle Corey MachLance Du Bois David BedellaPaulo Szot Dr Ranj Singh Paul-Jordan JansenMay Arun Blair-MangatJustin David Sullivan Jordan Broatch Nick DrakeRomeo Montague Jordan Luke GageBen Jackson Walker Jack Danson Michael CanuAngélique/Nurse Melanie La BarrieSandra Marvin Kathryn Allison François Du Bois Tim MahendranPhilippe Arroyo Kyle Cox Mateus Leite Cardoso
Notable cast replacements
West End (2019–23) Romeo Montague: Tom FrancisTom Francis to Join Cast of London's & Juliet Angelique/Nurse: Keala Settle May: Jo Foster
Broadway (2022–) Juliet Capulet: Maya Boyd William Shakespeare: Oliver Tompsett,West End Star Oliver Tompsett Will Make His Broadway Debut in & Juliet, Playbill Drew GehlingDrew Gehling to Join Broadway's & Juliet as Ben Jackson Walker, Justin David Sullivan, Philippe Arroyo Set Departures Corey Mach Anne Hathaway: Alison Luff, Teal WicksGans, Andrew. "Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kandi Burruss Returns to Broadway in & Juliet Starting December 11, Playbill, December 11, 2025 Lance Du Bois: David Bedella, Joey Fatone,NSYNC's Joey Fatone Will Return to Broadway in & Juliet Hayden Tee,Gans, Andrew NSYNC's Joey Fatone Sets Return to & Juliet; Hayden Tee to Join Broadway Company, Playbill, March 13, 2025 James Monroe Iglehart Angelique/Nurse: Charity Angél Dawson,Masseron, Meg Get a 1st Look at Charity Angél Dawson in Broadway's & Juliet, Playbill, February 2, 2024 Kandi Burruss
UK Tour (2024–25) William Shakespeare: Jay McGuiness Lance Du Bois: Lee Latchford-Evans& Juliet tour casts Steps star Lee Latchford-Evans
Musical numbers & Juliet is a jukebox musical and features existing music co-written by Max Martin, except for the new original song "One More Try", performed on the cast recording by Jessie J.
A number of songs were cut or replaced in the show's workshops, including "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" by Adele, "22" by Taylor Swift and "I Don't Believe You" by P!nk.
+Performer(s)SongOriginal ArtistAct 1Shakespeare and Company"Larger than Life"Backstreet BoysAnne, Shakespeare and Company"I Want It That Way"Juliet"...Baby One More Time"Britney SpearsRosaline, Anne, Shakespeare, Lord Capulet, Lady Capulet, Juliet and Company"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"Backstreet BoysJuliet, Anne, Angelique and May"Domino"Jessie JJuliet, Anne, Angelique, May and Company"Show Me Love"Robyn"Blow"KeshaMay and Juliet"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman"Britney SpearsFrançois and Juliet"Overprotected"Juliet, François, Angelique and Company"Confident"Demi LovatoAngelique and Lance"Teenage Dream" / "Break Free"Katy Perry / Ariana Grande feat. ZeddJuliet and Angelique"Oops!...I Did It Again"Britney SpearsMay, François, and Company"I Kissed a Girl"Katy PerryRomeo, Shakespeare, Juliet, Anne and Company"It's My Life"Bon JoviAct 2Romeo"Love Me like You Do"Ellie GouldingJuliet and Female Ensemble"Since U Been Gone"Kelly ClarksonMay and François"Whataya Want from Me"Adam LambertJuliet, Romeo and Company"One More Try"Original song"Problem" / "Can't Feel My Face"Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea / The WeekndAnne and Juliet"That's the Way It Is"Céline DionShakespeare, Romeo, May, François, Lance and Company"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"Backstreet BoysFrançois"As Long as You Love Me"François and May"It's Gonna Be Me"*NSYNCJuliet"Stronger"Britney SpearsLance, François and May"Shape of My Heart"Backstreet BoysAngelique and Company"Fuckin' Perfect"P!nkJuliet and Company"Roar"Katy PerryShakespeare, Anne, Juliet, Romeo and Company"I Want It That Way" (Reprise)Backstreet BoysShakespeare, Anne and Company"Can't Stop the Feeling!"Justin Timberlake
Productions
Manchester (2019) & Juliet premiered at the Manchester Opera House, running from 10 September to 12 October 2019. The cast starred Miriam-Teak Lee as Juliet. The rest of the cast included Oliver Tompsett as Shakespeare, Cassidy Janson as Anne/April, Melanie La Barrie as Angelique the Nurse, David Bedella as Lance, Jordan Luke Gage as Romeo, Arun Blair-Mangat as May and Tim Mahendran as François.
West End (2019–2023)
The show transferred to the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 November 2019, in previews, ahead of an official opening on 20 November 2019. All of the cast from the Manchester run of the show transferred for the West End engagement, directed by Luke Sheppard.
In 2020, the show was nominated for 9 Olivier Awards, winning 3 awards. Miriam-Teak Lee won Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Juliet, Cassidy Janson won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Anne / April and David Bedella won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Lance.