An honest review of & Juliet and whether it's worth the drive to Sydney

After exiting the Lyric Theatre following the Saturday matinee of & Juliet, my friends and I were left wondering what other shows could possibly stack up.

The Bodyguard with Paulini was quite stand out, as was Rent (in both decades I saw performances), even Kinky Boots and Fame were also up there as all-over fabulous.

So here is an honest review of what I thought of this new pop-musical which dared to alter a historic narrative, & Juliet, which is playing now at the Lyric Theatre, inside The Star casino in Sydney.

... and while it does have pop songs, it was refreshing to see a diverse range of theatre patrons from 10-years-old to possibly 110.

Since Sydney's Light Rail has been completed, it's made getting around a whole lot easier - especially to Pyrmont, where The Star casino is. The Lyric Theatre is inside The Star.

Some friends chose to stay in Sydney overnight, I chose public transport. The light rail now stops underneath The Star, so getting to it from Wollongong wasn't too bad.

The journey there took around 1.5 hours. However, after going for a bite to eat after the show I got lost walking around Pyrmont trying to find a light rail stop. By the time I got to Central Station, I'd missed the express train by 5 minutes, so my homeward-bound journey was around 2.5 hours in total. Exhausting.

There is ample parking on site at The Star, an option for next time perhaps.

There is also an abundance of food and drink offerings, though the food court can get a little pricey.

If you're keen to save money, you could have a look at the deals some of the restaurants close by in Pyrmont are offering.

Rob Mills is Shakespeare, but we missed seeing the wonderful Casey Donovan on stage. In fact, there were several understudies during our performance on March 23, but it was still ever so clever, the singing was perfect and the choreography seamless.

My friends and I weren't sure how the story would unfold, posing what if Juliet never died and instead had her whole life ahead of her?

I don't want to ruin the plot, but it is fabulously done.

William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway make appearances throughout the show, with funny and poignant facts about the famous playwright (and the infamous Romeo and Juliet) which brought many hearty laughs from the audience.

There are thrills and spills, heartache and joy. There is a wedding and some twists, but I'll leave it to you to find out how Shakespeare's tale takes a turn along the road less travelled.

The plot is written by an Emmy-award winning writer of Netflix's Schitt's Creek fame, while the music is a collection of non-stop chart hits from the '90s and '00s.

From Britney Spears to the Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi to Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake - these tunes are infectious.

Even if the songs weren't your thing at the time they blared from radio speakers, mix them with wit and a cast full of energetic thespians (who can dance) you won't be able to stop bopping in your seat.

As mentioned earlier, it was lovely to see people of all ages smiling in delight before, during and after the show.

As for kid-friendly - I'm considering watching it again with my four-year-old daughter, but unsure whether she'll understand all of it.

I think 8-year-olds and up will have a fun time (the recommended age on the theatre website). Though there are 2 or 3 swear words near the end - in context.

It also contains strobe lighting, loud noises, pyrotechnics and confetti canons - so not ideal for people with low-sensory needs.

Running time is about 2 hours and 30 minutes (including one 20-minute intermission).

After premiering on the West End in the UK and winning 8 Olivier Awards nominations, & Juliet has also been a theatrical triumph on Broadway in the US.

It's already wowed audiences in Melbourne and I'm pretty sure I saw plenty of "wowed" faces on Saturday.

I hope this won't be the last time we see a season of & Juliet on tour around Australia.

Standing ovation from me!

& Juliet is at Sydney's Lyric Theatre until June 16. Tickets begin at $74 and up from Ticketmaster. For more details, visit: https://andjuliet.com.au/