The producers of the global sensation & Juliet announce that Ben Jackson Walker, the original Romeo from the Broadway production, will be joining the UK and Ireland tour. Walker began his performances on Saturday, April 19, and will continue through to the end of the tour, next performing at Birmingham Hippodrome this evening.
The UK and Ireland tour of & Juliet opened at Manchester Opera House on July 8, 2024. Ben joins current tour cast members Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet, Lara Denning as Anne, Sandra Marvin as Angelique, Kyle Cox as Francois, and Jordan Broatch as May. Ranj Singh and Lee Latchford-Evans alternate the role of Lance, while Jay McGuiness plays Shakespeare. Matt Cardle will reprise the role of Shakespeare in Southend from May 5-10.
Also in the cast are Harriet Caplan-Dean as Eleanor, Alexander Kranz as Lennox, Andilé Mabhena as Augustine/Dance Team, Liam Morris as Richard, Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid as Lucy/Alternate Juliet, Michael Nelson as Henry, Toni Paise as Violet, Katie Ramshaw as Nell/Lady C, Aaron Shales as Gregory/Dance Team, Rosie Singha as Judith, Nia Stephen as Imogen, and Samuel Wilson-Freeman as Fletcher/Resident Director, Dance Captain, and Joe Wolstenholme as Off Stage Swing.
Ben Jackson Walker trained at the University of Michigan. He made his professional theatre debut playing Romeo in & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York and has appeared in Honor Society (Paramount+), Orange is the New Black, and Evil (Netflix).
There is life after Romeo! Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as Juliet ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Created by David West Read, the Emmy-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told and asks, what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?
Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” Katy Perry’s “Roar,” and chart-toppers “Since U Been Gone,” “It’s My Life,” “I Want It That Way,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — all from Max Martin, the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century, and his collaborators. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.
& Juliet is a global success and has now been performed on four continents since its World Premiere in September 2019. It began at the Manchester Opera House in England, before moving to London’s West End from 2019-2023, where it won three Olivier Awards and six WhatsOnStage Awards. The show had its North American premiere in July 2022 in Toronto, where it broke box office records and played to standing-room-only audiences, before heading to Broadway, where it again broke box office records and plays nightly to sold-out crowds. It can now also be seen around the globe with the North American Tour that started in September 2024 and the German premiere in October 2024. The German production marks the show’s first production with a book translated into a different language and was also the sixth country to welcome & Juliet in less than five years. More information for all productions can be found at andjulietthemusical.com.
The full creative team for the UK and Ireland tour of & Juliet includes David West Read (Book), Max Martin & Friends (Music & Lyrics), Luke Sheppard (Direction), Jennifer Weber (Choreography), Bill Sherman (Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements), Soutra Gilmour (Scenic Design), Paloma Young (Costume Design), Howard Hudson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design), Andrzej Goulding (Video & Projection Design), Nina Van Houten (Hair, Wig & Makeup Design), and Dominic Fallacaro (Additional Arrangements and Orchestrations). Casting is by Stuart Burt.
& Juliet is presented by Max Martin and Tim Headington and is produced by Max Martin, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Jenny Petersson, Martin Dodd, and Rebecca Quigley.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
