& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre

Swedish songwriter, producer and hitmaker Max Martin has been making splashes in the world of pop music for over 20 years, writing or producing smash tunes from Britney Spears' '...Baby One More Time' to the Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' to Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl'.

Now, he merges these hit with musical theatre in & Juliet, a show based around an alternative future for Shakespeare's tragic heroine Juliet. Instead of stabbing herself as per Shakespeare's text, this Juliet discovers a life after Romeo and leaves for a weekend of adventures in Paris, which plays out with pop songs-aplenty. Much like Mamma Mia, new musical & Juliet is a jukebox musical featuring Martin's hit-stuffed catalogue including 'Baby One More Time', 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)', 'Love Me Like You Do' and 'Can’t Feel My Face'.

Songwriter and producer Martin is the recipient of five Grammy awards, including two in 2017 for his work on Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling" and for co-producing Adele's album "25". Twenty-two of the songs that he has written or co-written since 1999 have become No.1 US hits, making him second only to the Lennon/McCartney duo in that department. Known for their work on In The Heights, musical supervisor Bill Sherman and director Luke Sheppard are signed up, with choreography by Jennifer Weber (Hip-Hop Nutcracker).

An open casting call went out in July, with producers looking for a diverse cast 'exceptional pop singers' in their 20s and 30s with the acting skills to match. Now casting has been announced, with Miriam-Teak Lee, star of On The Town and the original London Hamilton, announced to play Juliet. Lee was awarded Best Actress in a Musical at the Stage Debut Awards for On The Town, and that strong piece of casting is to be added to by other recent West End musical stars including Cassidy Janson (Beautiful: The Carole King Story), Oliver Tompsett (Wicked), Arun Blair-Mangat (Angels in America) and Melanie La Barrie (Matilda).

Clearly no expense or trouble has or will be spared on turning this into London's most inventive and irreverent new musical. & Juliet will run in Manchester for a limited run from September before arriving in November at the West End's Shaftesbury Theatre.

Click here to book tickets for & Juliet.