West End star Matt Cardle (Memphis, Strictly Ballroom, Jesus Christ Superstar) will play Shakespeare in the U.K. and Ireland tour of & Juliet, which is set to open at Manchester Opera House July 8.

Cardle joins the previously announced Gerardine Sacdalan (Made in Dagenham in Concert) as Juliet, Sandra Marvin (Sister Act The Musical, Emmerdale) as Angélique, and Lara Denning (Sunset Boulevard, Matilda) as Anne. 

Also joining the company are Jack Danson (Mamma Mia!) as Romeo, Kyle Cox (Crazy For You) as Francois, Jordan Broatch (42 Balloons) as May, Michael Nelson (Dirty Dancing) as Henry, Liam Morris (The Bodyguard) as Richard, Jade Johnson (Book of Mormon) as Nell/Lady C, Rosie Singha (Love Never Dies) as Judith, Nia Stephen (Cinderella) as Imogen, Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Lucy/Alternate Juliet, Andilé Mabhena (Shrek The Musical) as Augustine/Dance Team, Harriet Caplan-Dean (SIX), as Eleanor, Alexander Kranz (To Wong Foo) as Lennox, Aaron Shales (& Juliet) as Gregory/Dance Team, Toni Paise as Violet, and Samuel Wilson-Freeman (Mrs. Doubtfire) as Fletcher/resident director and dance captain.

The tour will subsequently play Southampton, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham, Leeds, and more.

With a book by David West Read and a score by Max Martin (and Friends), the international hit musical flips the script on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and follows what would happen if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo. The score features Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” Katy Perry’s “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “It’s My Life,” “I Want It That Way,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” and more. Luke Sheppard directs.

The musical also has choreography by Jennifer Weber, musical supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Bill Sherman, scenic design by Soutra Gilmour, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Gareth Owen, video and projection design by Andrzej Goulding, hair, wig, and makeup design by Suzy Bennett, and additional arrangements and orchestrations by Dominic Fallacaro. Casting is by Stuart Burt.

& 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.

For the current touring itinerary, visit AndJuliettheMusical.co.uk.