The premiere is approaching: 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the musical & Julia
The world’s most famous love story will get a new ending when the musical Juliet, which charmed London and Broadway, premieres on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 20 August. Producer Max Martin’s jukebox musical, pulsating with hits from the 1990s and early 2000s, has alreadysold 63% of its tickets.
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 end result is an energetic pop musical in which the theatre world of the 16th century is reinvigorated by 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, Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry, among others, such as …Baby One More Time,It’s My Life,Larger Than Life, I Want It That Way and Roar. The songs will be heard in both Finnish and English. According to director Samuel Harjanne, & Julia also speaks to us with its topical social themes: “& Julia hits the social discussion about the well-being of young people, equal opportunities and whether I have the opportunity to make decisions about my own future. The most touching thing about this energetic and emotional musical is young Julia’s journey into a mental landscape where she would understand that she is a valuable, important and lovable person. When the gems of Max Martin’s hit catalogue are added to these strong themes, the electric atmosphere of the Helsinki City Theatre rises above the ceiling. This musical will be an experience for many,” Harjanne ponders. The musical stars both new stars and top names in Finnish musical theatre: Renée Böök (Juliet), Mikko Peltomäki (Romeo), Tuukka Leppänen (William Shakespeare), Maria Lund (Anne Hathaway), Martti Manninen (François), Niki Rautén (May), Laura Alajääski (Angélique), Risto Kaskilahti (Lance), Raili Raitala (Lady Capulet) and Mikko Vihma (Mr. Capulet). The musical was written by David West Read, also known for the popular sitcom Schitt’s Creek. The musical is directed by Samuel Harjanne. The conductor of the nine-piece orchestra is Eeva Kontu and the choreographer is Gunilla Olsson-Karlsson. The set design is by Peter Ahlqvist. The costume design is 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 Renée Böök’s interview: Renée Böök makes her debut in the leadrole Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: New beginnings and the thrill of pop hitsThe performance is 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 Release photo: Photographer Otto-Ville Väätäinen, handling Kim Sinisalo, in the photo Mikko Peltomäki, Renée Böök, Maria Lund and Tuukka Leppänen. Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788 Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki