A glitter-drenched, Shakespeare-inspired pop musical has arrived in Aotearoa, built around one irresistible question: what if Juliet never died for Romeo?
That premise gives & Juliet its spark, but what begins as a smart feminist reworking of one of literature’s most overdone straight love stories soon opens into something broader, warmer and, at times, beautifully queer.
Created by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, & Juliet throws out the original ending of Romeo and Juliet and imagines a new future for its heroine — one in which she chooses herself, her freedom and an entirely different adventure. Anyone who adored the camp, high-energy brilliance of SIX will likely find plenty to love here too.
At the centre of the story is Anne Hathaway — Shakespeare’s wife, not the Hollywood actor — who challenges her husband to rewrite Juliet’s fate. From there, the musical launches into a gleefully self-aware pop spectacle, powered by the songs of Max Martin, the Swedish hitmaker behind tracks such as “…Baby One More Time”, “I Want It That Way”, “Roar” and many more. The result is funny, chaotic, emotionally open and unexpectedly moving.
For queer audiences in New Zealand, & Juliet offers more than just a glossy night at the theatre. It taps into something deeper.
At its core, the show is about rejecting the story you have been handed. Juliet refuses to remain trapped inside a narrative built on sacrifice, heterosexual tragedy and a predetermined ending. Instead, she takes control of the pen. That idea alone is likely to resonate with many queer viewers, especially anyone who has had to rethink expectations around love, gender, identity or what a “happy ending” is supposed to look like.
The message is simple but powerful: your story is not fixed. You can choose a different direction. You can survive the ending that other people expected for you.
One of the show’s strongest elements is May, whose storyline gives & Juliet much of its contemporary queer heart. Written as a non-binary character, May brings gender diversity and emotional tenderness into the centre of the musical in a way that feels meaningful rather than decorative.
Their story adds another layer to a production based on one of the most famous heterosexual romances ever written. Rather than being treated as a token inclusion or side plot, May’s presence broadens the show’s emotional world. Their love story is shaped by openness, curiosity and vulnerability, rather than by rigid labels or conventional expectations.
That matters. For queer and gender-diverse audiences, seeing a mainstream musical make room for a love story that exists outside traditional binaries gives the production a pulse that feels genuinely current. It helps turn & Juliet from a clever pop remix into a show that reflects the world many people are actually living in.
The tone of the musical also works in its favour. Because it comes from David West Read, & Juliet carries the same sharp, playful sensibility that helped make Schitt’s Creek so beloved. It understands the absurdity of Shakespearean romance and is more than happy to tease it. The humour is fast, modern and knowingly theatrical, giving the entire production a wink that keeps it buoyant.
That self-awareness also creates room for the show’s queer themes to breathe. Love, gender and identity are not handled in a stiff or overly solemn way. Instead, the show embraces fluidity, reinvention and fun. It understands that transformation can be joyful.
Then there is the music.
Max Martin’s catalogue is packed with songs that many queer audiences grew up with — the sort of songs sung into hairbrushes, blasted on dancefloors or belted out with friends late at night. From “…Baby One More Time” to “Since U Been Gone”, “Roar”, “I Want It That Way” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, the show is full of tracks that hit that sweet spot between nostalgia and release.
What makes them work here is that they are doing more than simply delivering crowd-pleasing pop moments. In & Juliet, these songs become part of a wider story about breaking out of assigned roles, claiming your voice and imagining a different future. For queer audiences, that emotional reframing feels especially satisfying.
Juliet’s own journey is part of what gives the musical its edge. The question is not simply what happens if she survives. It is what that survival allows her to become. Rather than rushing to replace one romance with another, the show gives space to selfhood, friendship, independence and growth.
That is a large part of why & Juliet lands so well from a queer perspective. It is not obsessed with restoring romance at any cost. It is more interested in what becomes possible when people stop performing the roles others have written for them.
This local production also brings that story home through a strong New Zealand cast, led by Kristin Paulse as Juliet, with Matu Ngaropo as Shakespeare and Awhimai Fraser as Anne. There is always something especially exciting about seeing a major international title reinterpreted by Aotearoa performers, and a show with this much theatrical sparkle feels all the more immediate when it is being delivered by local talent.
That also makes & Juliet an ideal group night out. Not every musical feels like an easy pick for the whole crew, but this one does. It is glamorous, funny, emotional and packed with huge pop numbers, making it just as appealing for serious theatre lovers as for those simply wanting a fabulous evening out.
Take your partner, your flatmates, your best mates, your situationship or the friends you have been meaning to catch up with since Pride. Book dinner, have a cocktail, dress up a little if you feel like it, and make an event of it.
By the end of the show, & Juliet earns its glittering burst of joy. Underneath the comedy, the camp and the pop hooks is a story about choosing possibility over despair and authenticity over expectation. For queer audiences in particular, that is likely to hit home.
And thanks to characters like May, it becomes more than a story about rewriting one girl’s ending. It becomes a celebration of making space for different kinds of love, different kinds of identity and different kinds of future.
& Juliet is in Auckland at The Civic now, before heading to Wellington’s St James Theatre from 9 May, and in Christchurch at Isaac Theatre Royal from 30 May to 13 June.
