cast list
John Addison. Gemma Atkins. Terry Doe. Daniella Gibb. Robert Hands. Reeda Harris. Dafydd Gwyn Howells. Jodie Jacobs. Laura Main. Brendan Matthews. Peter Kenworthy. Stephen McGlynn. Tom O’ Brien. Olivia O’Shea. Anthony Wise
directed by
Thom Southerland
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Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and Juliet, which first opened on Broadway in 1953, is not considered one of their greatest successes.
Set in a Broadway theatre and featuring a range of somewhat stock characters, Me and Juliet tells the story of the secret relationship between performer Jeanie and her stage manager Larry and the resultant backstage intrigue and jealousy.
Director Thom Southerland, whose staging of State Fair recently transferred to the Trafalgar Studios, has done his best to enliven the material, squeezing big dance numbers onto the intimate Finborough stage.
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Though staging a large scale musical in this most compact of theatres was always going to be a challenge, Southerland handles it well and his use of the space is inventive. There are times at the start when the stage feels too crowded but Alex Marker's creative set design helps to counter this.
The production's charm is considerable. It's a sweet and uplifting piece, strongly performed (even if some of the accents do tend to waver). No Other Love, sung by Jeanie and Larry as they begin to realise their feelings for each other, is particularly beautiful, and the comic numbers like Intermission Talk, which is performed straight after the interval, have an appealingly knowing air about them; this is especially true of the scene in which the ensemble argue about whether 'the theatre is dying' or not.
Robert Hands and Laura Main are well cast as Larry and Jeanie and there's a real sense of chemistry between them. As showgirl Betty, Jodie Jacobs' late entry into proceedings is more than made up for by her sparkling performance as she works to convince director Mac (a stern Dafydd Gwyn Howells) that she is the girl for him, even though he has a rule about not dating girls in his own company.
John Addison has yet to nail the character of Jeanie's ex-boyfriend Bob - his performance seems forced and his anger sometimes failed to convince - but there are some really strong performances in the smaller roles: from Gemma Atkins, as beautiful songbird Lily; from the delightful Daniella Gibb, as perky Suzy; and from the very watchable Reeda Harris. It's a pity these performers didn't have more to do.
Me and Juliet may not be top drawer Rodgers and Hammerstein but it's performed with style and polish and there's something quite thrilling about hearing these melodies performed at such close quarters.
- Miriam Zendle
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London reviews
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