Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun …
A new musical starring Miriam-Teak Lee, of the original London cast of Hamilton, is to explore what might have happened if Juliet's ending had actually been her beginning…
& Juliet's marketing blurb begins ‘Romeo & Juliet final scene. Juliet picks up the dagger and… gets a life. This vital new musical sees Juliet getting over Romeo by running off to Paris with Nurse and her best friends on a whirlwind trip of romance and self-discovery. You know, like a normal young woman! Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway may have their own ideas but this is Juliet's story now. So don't tell her how it ends.’
The show features music by songwriter Max Martin, including ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘Everybody’, ‘Love Me Like You Do’ and ‘Can't Feel My Face’. Martin also wrote the Backstreet Boys' ‘I Want it That Way’ and Bon Jovi's ‘It's My Life’ although sadly there's no indication that either feature in this show…surely it's the perfect vehicle for the latter? In any case, the music is to be orchestrated by Bill Sherman – with both Tony and Grammy to his name.
Running at Manchester Opera House from 10 September and then moving to the Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 November, the musical will be directed by Luke Sheppard (In The Heights) with a story by David West Read (Schitt's Creek) and design by Soutra Gilmour.
https://andjulietthemusical.co.uk/
This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen …
This year the northernmost Shakespeare company in the world held its 20th annual ‘Bardathon’ – a ten-day continual reading of all 38 of Shakespeare's canonical plays.
The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre in Alaska counts among its readers for these events students, polar scientists, amateur and professional actors, locals and people from all over the world, who call in to read roles. As the company's website explains, ‘Volunteers facilitate each show and arrange who reads which part. Everyone is welcome to sign up to read a part. People from all over the Fairbanks area come to read at all hours of the day and night, and callers from around the world join us by speakerphone. The event is also live online for listeners across the globe. Readers of all abilities are welcome. School groups are invited to come in during the weekdays for special educational sessions.’
The events takes place in the long dark Alaskan winter and sounds extremely atmospheric: while this year's is over (it took place from 8-17 February), I for one would like to tune in next year when, as each year, it will be audio live-streamed in its entirety on the internet.
Good old Will. He really is a global phenomenon.
www.fairbanksshakespeare.org/bardathon.aspx
Which of you all will now deny to dance?
Meanwhile in a whole different artform, Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet ballet takes to the UK stage this 13 May, with two touring casts taking in 13 venues including a four-week residency at Sadler's Wells from 7-31 August. The two casts, ‘The Capulets’ and ‘The Montagues’, will perform at different venues; giving each company the time to rehearse with Young Casts whilst the tour continues. These Young Casts have been drawn from auditions all over the country during a drive to seek out the freshest new talents in British ballet.
The search began in April 2018 with a call-out for young dancers currently in training aged between 16 and 19. Attracting over 1,000 applications and following a UK-wide audition tour, 6 Young Cast members will perform at each venue alongside the New Adventures cast (Matthew Bourne's own company).
Furthermore, New Adventures has made a commitment to developing off-stage talent in recruiting a team of Young Associate Artists to work alongside the artistic team in the creation of this world premiere production. Rachel Goldberg as Young Associate Sound Designer and Alexander Ling as Young Associate Orchestrator join Arielle Smith as Young Associate Choreographer; Elin Steele as Young Associate Set & Costume Designer and Ali Hunter as Young Associate Lighting Designer.
The production will visit Leicester Curve; Bradford Alhambra; Northampton Royal … Derngate; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff; Sadler's Wells, London; Norwich Theatre Royal; Bristol Hippodrome; Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; Theatre Royal, Nottingham; and Theatre, Royal Newcastle.
For more information go to www.new-adventures.net