X Factor winner Matt Cardle lands part in award-winning & Juliet musical coming to Lancashire this year

The producers of the global sensation '& JULIET' say they are delighted to announce that singer-songwriter Matt Cardle will play the role of Shakespeare in the highly anticipated upcoming UK and Ireland tour. 

40-year-old Matt rose to fame as the winner of The X Factor’ in 2010, beating One Direction who came third. His performance with Rihanna on the show has been viewed over 41 million times on YouTube and his debut single When We Collide, taken from his platinum selling debut album, has sold over 1.1 million copies. 

Since then, Matt has released four studio albums and has collaborated with artists such as Melanie C and Gary Barlow, whilst his fifth studio album is set to be released later this year.

Taking on the role of Shakespeare in & Juliet is not Matt’s first theatre credit either, having starred in Memphis alongside Beverley Knight - for which he received the WhatsOnStage award for ‘Best West End Debut’ - in Strictly Ballroom and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Find out more about what & Juliet is below and when it is coming to Lancashire… 

What is & Juliet?

& JULIET is an Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award winning and Tony Award nominated musical, created by the Emmy-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” which 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?

The show information reads: "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."

The West End production at the Shaftesbury Theatre thrilled audiences from 2019-2023, whilst the smash-hit Broadway production broke box office records and entered its second year in November 2023, with a US tour set to embark in September 2024. 

Juliet’s new story is soundtracked with 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 songwriter/producer behind more number one hits than any other artist this century, and his collaborators. 

& 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.

When is & Juliet coming to Lancashire?

The tour visits the Winter Gardens Blackpool between July 23 – 27 July 2024. 

Tickets are now on sale and for off-peak performances they start at £23.75 whilst peak prices start at £29.25.

Who else is in & Juliet?

Pop star Matt joins the previously announced stars Gerardine Sacdalan (Made in Dagenham in Concert) as Juliet, Sandra Marvin (Waitress, Sister Act, Hairspray)  as Angélique and Lara Denning (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Matilda the Musical, Sunset Boulevard) as Anne. 

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Also in the cast are Jack Danson (Mamma Mia, Novello Theatre) as Romeo, Kyle Cox (Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre & Chichester Festival Theatre) as Francois, Jordan Broatch (42 Balloons, The Lowry & Vaudeville Theatre) as May, Michael Nelson (Dirty Dancing, UK & International Tour) as Henry, Liam Morris (The Bodyguard, UK Tour) as Richard, Jade Johnson (Book of Mormon, Prince of Wales Theatre) as Nell / Lady C, Rosie Singha (Love Never Dies concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) as Judith, Nia Stephen (Cinderella, Imagine Theatre) as Imogen, Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) as Lucy/Alternate Juliet, Andilé Mabhena (Shrek The Musical, UK & Ireland Tour) as Augustine / Dance Team, Harriet Caplan-Dean (SIX, West End, UK Tour & International Tour), as Eleanor, Alexander Kranz (To Wong Foo, Hope Mill Theatre) as Lennox Aaron Shales (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre) as Gregory / Dance Team, Toni Paise (theatrical debut) as Violet and Samuel Wilson-Freeman (Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre) as Fletcher / Resident Director and Dance Captain.