Me and Juliet

Synopsis

A love story, a comedy, a show within a show, and a tongue in cheek satire of ‘showbusiness’, Me and Juliet is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s valentine to the Theatre. When singer Jeanie and stage manager Larry are secretly married, they arouse the suspicion and jealousy of lighting technician and ex-boyfriend Bob. It’s chaos on stage, and unbridled passion back stage, but the show must go on... Remembered by Broadway aficionados for its infectiously catchy score including the timeless classic No Other Love, as well as for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s groundbreaking innovations in reinventing musical theatre, Me and Juliet ran for a year on Broadway in 1953.

Our Review:

Andrew Girvan - 12 October 2010

Squeezing a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical into the small space of the Finborough may sound ambitious. It becomes even more impressive when you learn that Me and Juliet is a backstage musical which follows the cast of a melodramatic Broadway revue, interspersing the behind-the-scenes drama of the cast with the over-the-top hat and cane, showgirl numbers from the show, which totally fill the space.

Cleverly staged by designer Alex Marker with a constantly moving fourth wall, the audience spends the majority of the show backstage at the theatre with understudy auditions, rehearsals and the personal tribulations of the cast, as well as being transported front of house and even above the stage - too few musicals feature songs sung by follow spot operators on the flyfloor, spotlight in hand above the casts' heads.

The sixteen-strong cast deliver Rodgers' lyrical score with impressively strong vocals across the board, but special mention should be gi...

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Latest User Review

Gareth James - 29 October 2010:

Fringe powerhouse The Finborough Theatre and one-man musicals machine Thom Sutherland have teamed up again to give us another European premiere of a Rogers & Hammerstein show that proves to be even more of a delight than State Fair. Itfs got nothing to do with Shakespearefs R&J; itfs a simple onstage-backstage love story, but you get a real baddie and a second love story for your money. Clearly itfs not in the Oklahoma / South Pacific league, but itfs a decent show and therefore astonishing that itfs taken 27 years to be seen here. It didnft take long to sweep me away. Designer Alex Marker has cleverly reversed the usual theatre configuration and integrated both audience and cast entrance doors and the spaces above them into the set. Therefs some terrific staging, including scenes of the show-within-the-show lighting men from both above the stage and looking down from the stage which are inspired, and therefs a brilliant surprise entrance. The chorus numbers are delicious Busby Berkley miniatures staged with tongue slightly in cheek looking back 50 years very affectionately. The singing and acting are first class. Laura Main and Robert Hands are great romantic leads. John Addison was so menacing he brought a believability to the bad-guy character which could easily have been a caricature. Jodie Jacobs was so spot in every way she could have time-travelled from the 50Œs for the evening. Dafydd Gwyn Howells (wonder where hefs from?!) and Anthony Wise also impressed as Company Manager and Lighting Man respectively. The musical standards are outstanding with MD Joseph Atkins alone playing the whole score on his upright piano. Charming and irresistible, I hope that, like State Fair, it gets a second outing . Wefre so lucky to have theatres like the Finborough, Landor and Union putting on musical productions of this quality and people like Thom Sutherland to present us with opportunities to see rare gems like this. Ifd say GO GO GO, but itfs probably sold out by now!...

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