"& Julia" has been a success on the West End in London and on Broadway in New York, among other places, and in February it will premiere in a Swedish version at Cirkus in Stockholm.
The musical is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's classic play "Romeo and Juliet", but the story takes completely new paths. The music revolves around the song catalog of Swedish super-producer and songwriter Max Martin.
Cast
The main roles are played by Viktor Norén, who plays William Shakespeare; Oscar Zia, who plays Romeo; and Joanné Nugas, who plays Julia.
The ensemble met Max Martin during work on the musical.
"He is very involved. It is almost provocative how nice and humble he is. His songs become something completely different in this context; you realize how incredibly well-written they are," Joanné Nugas says.
"& Julia" is a so-called jukebox musical, which means that the music was not written directly for the musical stage. Yet it almost feels like that was the idea from the beginning, says Viktor Norén:
"The music fits in so effortlessly that it feels like Max Martin had a master plan all along - that it would become this story. We even switch languages, yet it feels so natural," Viktor Norén says.
"& Julia" features iconic pop songs such as Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone", Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again" and Katy Perry's "Roar". But even though all of these artists are world stars, the musical makes it clear that it is Max Martin's song treasure, says Norén:
"You've never listened to Max Martin as an artist, but here he is the artist. When you hear all his songs one after the other, you get a different understanding of what an incredible treasure trove of songs he has. It's actually completely insane," Norén says.
Joy and humanity
In "& Juliet," Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway urges him to rewrite the ending of "Romeo and Juliet" - she believes it would be too dark if everyone died. In the new version, Juliet chooses her own fate, but the musical does not only depict her story, Joanné Nugas and Viktor Norén emphasize.
"It's about joy and humanity. About love and friendship and about people who really find each other," they say.
Sara Haldert/TT
Facts: "& Julia"
TT
Original title: "& Juliet".
Created by: David West Read.
The Swedish version is directed by Edward af Sillén after a translation by Calle Norlén. Max Martin is co-producer.
Starring: Viktor Norén, Oscar Zia, Joanné Nugas, Sussie Eriksson, Martin Redhe Nord and others.
Premiere: At Cirkus in Stockholm on February 19, 2026.
