Since its debut in 2019, & Juliet has taken the West End by storm. Based on the premise of Juliet not taking that fatal potion in the final scene of Romeo & Juliet, the musical features some of the biggest hits from the musical genius Max Martin….with a new and exclusive future classic thrown in the mix as well.
& Juliet has been playing to audiences in London and New York for the last five years and right now it is out on the road for the & Juliet UK & Ireland Tour. See www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk for full dates and destinations.
Non-binary actor Jordan Broatch plays May in the queer romance storyline of the musical. Loverboy spoke with Jordan about the importance of representation, their favourite Queer Shakespearean character and the possibility of an & Juliet film…
Congrats on the & Juliet tour. Where were you when you found out the news? How did you celebrate?
So I got a call from my agent that I’d been offered the role at around 10pm on a Friday just as I was about to head into bed for a chill pamper night! I spent a good 10 minutes on the phone with him asking if the news was real, which he assured me that it was, once it sunk in I called my mum and my partner to tell them the news and then treated myself to a nice cup of tea! It was a very surreal pamper night!
As a non-binary actor, how does this character’s identity compare with previous roles you have played?
I’ve been quite fortunate that in my career I have gotten to play a fair few non-binary and gender non-conforming characters, but getting to play May is an absolutely dream. Getting to play a role that I relate to on such a personal level brings me so much joy and comfortability as well as getting to represent my community each night and help people see themselves on stage is so special.
I imagine you learn things about identity through every role you play? Are there things you are learning about being non-binary through May’s experience?
I’ve really enjoyed getting to explore May’s non-binary experience, we all have different journeys and lived experiences and being able to see the differences between mine and May’s has been really fun and interesting. I think the main thing it’s solidified for me is that I’m 100% valid in who I am just like everyone else.
You’ll probably be the first non-binary character some audience members have seen. How does that feel? Exciting, activism on a kind of level, maybe a bit of pressure too?
It’s been really exciting, it was one of the big reasons I was so excited for this job and it has been so rewarding. The show is brilliant at allowing everyone to see themselves on stage, and also at educating people who may not know what certain things such as non-binary are and to show them that it’s not a ‘scary’ thing, we’re all just people living our lives.
Initially I felt a bit of pressure as I wanted to make sure I was setting a good example, but as rehearsals went on, and I spoke to people about it, I realised that I was putting unecessary pressure on myself, I just need to tell May’s story and be as honest and truthful as I can.
& Juliet features the music of Max Martin. How has your relationship with the songs you sing changed since taking on this role? Which is your favourite song you are not singing?
I mean Max Martins songs are incredible, each song is a showstopper and getting to sing them each night is an absolute treat! It’s been really fun getting to alter the original meanings/story of some of the songs. For example May and another character in the show who I won’t mention due to spoilers sing ‘I Kissed A Girl’ famously sung by Katy Perry. It’s so fun but very different from the original. I have a lot of favourites but I think my current favourite would be a song called ‘One More Try’ which was written by Max but hasn’t been previously recorded by an artist, the lyrics and the way its done is just *chef’s kiss.
The musical takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Which is your favourite Queer icon through Shakespeare and why?
My favourite queer icon would have to be Ariel from the Tempest, a multi-talented, magical, gender non-conforming legend.
& Juliet has had phenomenal success with six countries opening their own version within five years. What do you think makes it so special? Do we think a film could be on the way?
The show has so much heart, it really is a joy filled show and allows a space for everybody, I think that paired with an incredible score, witty script and stunning choreography, staging, set and costumes really make it a wonder to watch. I really hope there’s a filmed production down the line so I can watch it!
The UK & Ireland tour will be running until July 2025. So if this summer has been a Brat summer, will next year be a Broatch one?!! How does one live their best Broatch summer?
Oh we can dream! For anyone wanting to live a Broatch summer all you need is; Intrusive thoughts, overthinking and a cup of tea.
You have 272k followers on Tik Tok but you’ve stopped using the platform. Would you mind telling us a bit about your relationship with social media?
I like to keep a bit of a distance from social media, I love seeing what other people are up to, celebrating other peoples success and watching a gorgeous meme or 10. But I just felt like I was putting an unnecessary pressure on myself when I was posting on Tik Tok. I’m really thankful for how kind people were and for the following I got but I think I need to work out how to not put so much pressure on myself before possibly diving back into it. Never say never though!
Lastly we are named after the biggest-selling single of 2001. So we always ask what is your favourite Mariah Carey song and why?
It’s got to be ‘We Belong Together’ the vocals are always popping but the music video is giving full drama and scandal, it gives exactly what I need.
& Juliet is touring the UK & Ireland now
For dates and tickets see www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk
