They will be seen in the lead roles of the hit musical & Julia – a reinterpretation of the classic story will premiere in Finland in August
The world’s best-known love story will be updated to the present day when the musical & Julia, which charmed London and Broadway, premieres on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 20 August. The title role of Julia is played by the young promising Renée Böök. The other main roles in the pop delight, which sprawls hit songs from the 1990s and early 2000s, are played by Mikko Peltomäki, Tuukka Leppänen and Maria Lund, among others.
What if Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet didn’t end in death, but Juliet survived the tragedy? This is the question posed in the musical & Julia, in which William Shakespeare (Tuukka Leppänen) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Maria Lund) rewrite the ending of the classic. Julia (Renée Böök) has to choose differently and start over. The other roles in the musical include both new stars and top names in Finnish musical theatre: Mikko Peltomäki (Romeo), Moulin Rouge! The dazzling roles of the musical were played by Martti Manninen (Francois), Niki Rautén (May), Laura Alajääski (Angelique), Risto Kaskilahti (Lance), Raili Raitala (Lady Capulet) and Mikko Vihma (Mr. Capulet).
For Renée Böök, who is making her debut in the lead role of the musical, the role of Juliet means a lot:
“It feels great to be able to play this role! I fell in love with & Julia’s world immediately and I had a strong feeling that this is the story I want to be part of. Despite the excitement, I felt liberated during the auditions, because I got to do things that are my greatest passion – singing, acting and throwing myself into it. Julia’s journey is full of strength, hope and independence, and it’s hugely meaningful to be able to convey that message to the audience.”
& Julia is an energetic jukebox musical that reinvigorates the theatrical world of the 16th century with some of the most famous pop classics of the 1990s and early 2000s. The music of the performance consists of world-famous hits composed by Swedish Max Martin for Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, the Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry , among others. The musical features songs such as “Since U Been Gone”, “Larger Than Life”, “… Baby One More Time”, “I Want It That Way”, “It’s going to Be Me”, “Roar”, “It’s My Life”, “Stronger” and many more. The nine-piece orchestra is led by the chief conductor of the Helsinki City Theatre, Eeva Kontu.
“These compositions are iconic. Max Martin’s production in the 2000s and 2010s was still ‘organic’: he clearly composed for instruments and musicians, not computers. In the original versions of the songs, you can hear people at the instruments, not just machines, and partly because of this, they are rooted, empowering, even cathartic. For the same reason, they are also a natural fit for musical orchestras and ensembles. The & Julian Orchestra is a combination of a pop quintet and a string quartet. The string quartet plays an important role in the arrangements, as the strings are known to be a mirror of humanity and a haven of emotions,” Kontu describes.
The musical was written by David West Read, also known for the popular Netflix comedy series Schitt’s Creek. The musical is directed by Samuel Harjanne. The conductor is Eeva Kontu and the choreographer is Gunilla Olsson-Karlsson. The set design is by Peter Ahlqvist. The costume design is done by Elina Kolehmainen. Toni Haaranen and William Iles are responsible for the lighting and video design, and Kai Poutanen is responsible for the sound design. The camouflage is designed by Aino Hyttinen. The musical has been translated into Finnish by Paavo Leppäkoski and the dramaturg is Henna Piirto.
Read the interview with Renée Böök: Renée Böök makes her debut in the lead role
Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: New beginnings and the intoxication of pop hits
The performance will be subtitled in Finnish, Swedish and English.
& Julia premiere 20.8.2026 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Basic ticket 96 €, student ticket 48 € (Mon–Thu), pensioner ticket 93 € (Mon–Thu). #jajuliamusikaali @hktfi
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-18, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
Photo of the press release: Photographer Otto-Ville Väätäinen, discussion by Kim Sinisalo, photo by Mikko Peltomäki, Renée Böök, Maria Lund and Tuukka Leppänen.
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki