The work of misogynist William Shakespeare has regularly been adapted to suit changing times. His tragedies were often performed with happy endings or even sequels if that’s what audiences were anticipating, so jukebox-musical & Juliet belongs to a long tradition of artistic course correction. It’s essentially Romeo And Juliet: Part Two, with Juliet waking up from her potion and heading for Paris to start a new chapter after her life-changing, almost four-day relationship with Romeo. 

In a meta development of the text, & Juliet imagines Shakespeare (Matt Cardle) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Lara Denning) both having considerable input into the creation of this sequel, not only casting themselves in key roles but sparring over the narrative direction and balance of power between the sexes. Hathaway’s initial intention is to create fresh opportunity for her 14-year-old ingénue Juliet (Gerardine Sacdalan) but the Bard’s patriarchal understanding of a woman’s place creates fresh conflict as he looks to revive Romeo (Jack Danson) and bring the star-crossed lovers back together.

Offering an adept spin on the original is Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, with & Juliet bringing the funny and also featuring a barrage of instantly recognisable pop tunes, showcasing the songwriting of Max Martin. Crowd-pleasers like ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’, ‘Roar’, ‘Domino’ and ‘…Baby One More Time’ are artfully dropped in with slight lyrical tweaks wittily reflecting upon the narrative. Sacdalan is a vivacious, energetic lead, and the personable duo of Cardle and Denning provide an agreeably wry commentary on proceedings. & Juliet isn’t a particularly plot-driven or deep show, but it’s upbeat, melodic and tuned into the debate about women’s rights. Bolstered by a non-binary sub-plot to boot, this provides the girl-power twist that Shakespeare never knew he needed.

& Juliet, Edinburgh Playhouse, Tuesday 12–Saturday 16 November; reviewed at King’s Theatre, Glasgow.