Jade & Juliet & Riverside Theatres

Parramatta’s iconic Riverside Theatres is about to undergo a major glow up and the old venue is going to bow out in style with a spectacular production of the hit musical, & Juliet. 

Situated on the shore of the Parramatta River, Riverside Theatres opened its doors in 1988, immediately establishing itself as the preeminent theatre for Sydney’s west. Its three main spaces — 761-seat Riverside Theatre, 220-seat Lennox Theatre, and 100-seat Rafferty's Theatre – have played host to everything from big musicals to intimate poetry readings and lots in between. 

“I think it’s a wonderful space […] I have done quite a lot of performances in their smaller theatres, dance competitions and stuff like that, and I’ve seen lots of musicals in the big theatre. I think it’s a great space,” says Jade Lee, who will be playing Juliet in the upcoming PACA production of & Juliet.  “I’m really excited for the new renovations to…spruce it up a little bit.”

Lee is especially thrilled about landing the role of Juliet — it’s her first lead role in a musical. She’s been performing in musicals since she was 8 years old. “The creative arts has always been a passion and a love of mine and I don’t think that I could ever let that go in any sense,” says Lee, though she admits her interests are broad and varied. 

Currently, Lee is studying Speech Pathology at uni. She’s also interested in doing serious acting on stage and screen. Her more than 500,000 followers on TikTok mean she might well be on her way to being an influencer, too. 

“I love to do a bunch of different things. I think if I was to do one thing I would probably go insane just because I love being on my feet and doing so many different things,” she explains. 

For now, with six weeks until opening night, Lee is wholly focused on being Juliet. 

& Juliet is a fresh take on Shakespeare’s perennial love story, Romeo and Juliet. Written by David West Read and featuring the hit songs of Max Martin, the musical depicts Shakespeare reworking his play on stage in real time, under the guidance of wife, Anne Hathaway. 

Shakespeare’s story and characters get a thorough rinsing in modern day aesthetic. 

“I think this Juliet looks into a lot more female empowerment in the role,” explains Lee.  “I think we also get to have a deep dive into William and Anne’s characters as well, in regard to how women write female characters compared to how males write female characters.” 

Lee says she resonates with many aspects of Juliet’s personality. 

“Her eagerness to explore the world is definitely something that I can relate to in a very large way. And I just think that she’s such a projective character. She really expresses herself in such an open and joyous way.”

Max Martin has written some of the most popular and anthemic songs of the last few decades, many of which feature in this jukebox musical. Lee believes that having songs that span the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s allows & Juliet to appeal to a broad demographic. 

“It really encourages an audience to be immersed in the musical because, not only do they know the songs but they can see the songs in a different light.”

As for Juliet’s songs, Lee has a couple of favourites. She loves singing Confident, a rousing, self-affirming song that represents a significant turning point for Juliet. And she’s very excited about performing Roar. “It’s such a big number at the end that I think everyone is able to be a part of.”

Rehearsals are now in full swing and there’s an ever increasing sense of positive anticipation among the cast and creatives. So what’s in store?  “We do have a few surprises just within the staging and the musical itself. I won’t give too much away but definitely something that is going to surprise a lot of people, especially for a community theatre production, it’s definitely taking a step beyond what a lot of people have seen within community shows,” says Lee, teasingly, adding: “I’m so grateful to be given this opportunity and I think that everyone is absolutely going to love the musical that we’re putting so much heart and soul into creating.”

& Juliet plays Riverside Theatres from October 3 - 19, 2025

riversideparramatta.com.au/whats-on/and-juliet

Jade Lee is on TikTok @jadeleel