& Juliet - Opera House MCR / Shaftesbury / U.K.Tour

I was seriously impressed by this show! The cast were exceptional! A star is born in Tim Mahendran! And Cassidy Janson and Oli Tompsett were a super duo! David Bedella is great although criminally underused. Not enough people are talking about Melanie La Barrie in this either. She is an absolute dream! A phenomenal performance - exceptional comic timing whilst her rendition of P!nk's Perfect is so heartfelt! It's a big glitzy production that doesn't rely on projections which makes a change. It deserves to do very well in London. I think the critics may well hate it but the crowds will love it and it's very accessible for tourists I think.

Can anyone tell me the running time for this? I can't find it on the website.

Thanks

I was wondering who was strutting around like a chicken in tight pants to a back drop of identikit pop hits? I hadn’t heard about that aspect.

we were out at 5:10 yesterday after a 2:30pm start

First and only time tonight and I CAN’T WAIT! 🤩😀

What a fun night out. Probably wouldn’t have bothered if I’d not read the love on this thread. And grateful for the £20 tip too.

Wasn’t quite sure at first but by the interval I was completely won over. I think most of the credit has to go to the superb cast. In lesser hands this could have been average jukebox stuff.

I'm tempted by this. Are there any offers available for the Saturday Matinee? Google is letting me down.

Seems inappropriate, somehow, to be writing about a frivolous theatre trip to Manchester. I was in the Arndale Centre just a few hours ago.

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. After sleeping on it, I still can't decide if it's completely bonkers, or really rather clever. Probably a bit of both, not that it matters. It shouldn't work, especially on paper, but it does!

I'm the first to criticise ATG's business model, but credit must go to the ushers at the Opera House.  Knowing it was probably going to happen anyway, five minutes before curtain up they proactively encouraged those of us at the back and sides to move closer to the front and/or centre, so I upgraded my Row X extreme side seat for one on Row N. Only problem was I swapped two wine drinking, chocolate eating, older women for a young woman who not only sat sideways, but also had something of an odour problem. I was going to move again for Act II, and had been scouting unoccupied seats, but when I returned after the interval, she'd moved onto Row M, hopefully not because of my odour problem!

Although true for most musicals, this is one that probably needs to be seen more than once.  It's so busy, I'm sure I missed loads.  I certainly missed many of the jokes, including one shouted from the circle which got Oliver and Cassidy corpsing.

Several school parties in the circle, presumably for an alternative take on Shakespeare.  

Pleased the band aren't excluded from the applause.  I'd never have guessed there are two violinists!  And Juliet and Anne were on joint jukebox duty.

If the producers have deep enough pockets to fund what I suspect will be a difficult first few months in London, this could well be a sleeper hit.  On the other hand, the man standing next to me in the unbearably hot lavatories had already decided it will "bomb in the West End", so what do I know?

What I do know is that by the time I'd finally exited the theatre, there was a reasonable crowd waiting by the Stage Door, including my 'friend' from earlier.  Although everyone seemed perfectly civilised, and there were certainly no hoggers, I got the impression many had already made multiple visits.

As you know full well, BurlyBeaR, if I dislike something, I simply won't post about it.

4.6 stars from me. 👍

And so that’s it for Manchester. Will we ever see it back again in some form I wonder? I can’t imagine a pared down version of it so pleased I've seen it three times in all its glory.

What will london think of it? 😯

Saw it twice but wish had seen it more. 
Also pleased it's another gem of the "Manchester Gets It First" stuff. Lived there for 5 years and incredibly fond of the place. (Not related in any other way, but I also have high hopes for Back To The Future).
And it seems ATG did a good job of discounting and getting bums on seats which is exactly what something like this, unknown but excellent, needs. Atmosphere in the Opera House was so good that it can only generate great word of mouth. 

So yes, be fascinating to see what London makes of it. I think much of it will be to do with how they fill the theatre for the first few months. 

I've booked with a couple of mates for the first preview.