Tim Hill in the director chair for Empire Toowoomba production of & Juliet

Shakespeare gets a pop powered remix as Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre prepares to stage & JULIET, the Max Martin jukebox juggernaut that asks what happens if Juliet writes the next chapter of her life. Director Tim Hill is steering a new production shaped specifically for the Empire and its theatre literate local audience. In my interview, Hill speaks about honouring the bones of Romeo and Juliet while inviting fresh questions, and about building a show that celebrates sincerity and spectacle in equal measure. Expect chart toppers from the 90s and 2000s to ignite memory and plot together, from I Want It That Way to a roar of self discovery. Hill teases a design that moves from a Globe inspired world into full music video energy, and he shares how the company will ground every big moment in character and story. The result, he says, should feel exhilarating, nostalgic, and unmistakably new. Cast applications open 15 September, with an audition workshop at the Empire on 11 October before applications close. & JULIET plays at the Empire from 13 to 22 March 2026. Read on for Hill’s approach, influences, and the surprises waiting in this Toowoomba made, vibrant, fresh take on a classic.

& JULIET flips one of theatre’s most famous tragedies on its head. As a director, how do you approach telling a story the audience thinks they already know, while still keeping them surprised?

I think it’s about equally respecting the story and its place in people’s psyche, while also not being afraid to question it. This show isn’t about tearing Romeo and Juliet apart, but rather about taking one of its central figures and wondering what’s possible for that character, especially through a contemporary lens. I think it’s a show for both lovers of Shakespeare and fans of new-wave musical theatre.

The score is packed with Max Martin’s iconic 90s and 2000s hits. Do you stage these songs as pure spectacle, or are you more interested in how they can push the story and character arcs forward?

Honestly, both. The numbers need a degree of spectacle—many of these songs will trigger memories of concerts or MTV and Rage clips for our audience, and it’s important to embrace some of that aesthetic. That said, the songs also carry some of the most crucial plot developments and emotional arcs, much like the best traditional musical theatre. At its heart, this musical has a fantastic story to tell, and my first job is to honour that story, in all its honesty and spectacle.

How does presenting such a globally recognised show in a regional powerhouse venue affect your artistic choices?

From my experience, the Toowoomba audience is very theatre-literate, but they’re also deeply passionate about their town and their beautiful theatre. I see this as a wonderful opportunity to create a new and unique version of & JULIET just for Toowoomba and the Empire.

You have directed CHICAGO, INTO THE WOODS, and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, all musicals with very distinct tones. What muscles are you stretching differently with & JULIET compared to those works?

I’ve spent a lot of time with Sondheim shows recently, which are obviously a gift from (in my humble opinion) the greatest composer of all time. Sondheim gives you so much about the characters through his music and lyrics that your job is often to simply translate that onto the stage. With a jukebox musical, because the songs weren’t originally written for this specific story, you have to work harder to connect the lyrics to the narrative and the character’s personal journey. It’s a fun challenge, and if you can pull it off, you create incredible synergy between these hit songs and a complete, complex story.

You were Resident Director for the woman in black, a dark psychological play. Does your experience with tension and atmosphere in that production influence how you approach comedy and exuberance in & JULIET?

I wouldn’t say it directly influenced me, as they are such different shows. But working in the room with the incredible West End creatives and the superstar Australian cast was hugely inspiring, and it gave me plenty I can carry into future rehearsal rooms.

If Juliet herself were to sit in the rehearsal room and watch this new version of her story unfold, what do you think she would say to you as the director?

I hope she’d be thrilled. She gets to re-write her story, and her fate is no longer tied to Romeo’s. I hope she’d revel in the chance to Roar.

Max Martin’s catalogue spans multiple generations of pop. Which number in the show do you think will spark the loudest moment of nostalgia from the audience, and why?

That’s so hard to say, I think every audience member will connect with different songs. That’s what’s so brilliant about this score: nearly everyone has a personal history with at least some of these numbers. For me, the one that jumped out was I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys.

Directing a jukebox musical can be a balancing act between honouring the music and avoiding it feeling like a concert. What strategies are you using to make sure this production feels like a cohesive piece of theatre?

The key is really embracing and understanding the characters—who they are and what they stand for. If that’s achieved, then it doesn’t matter what they’re singing, because the audience will be invested in them and their journey.

What is something about this production that you think audiences will not expect, whether in design, performance, or interpretation, that excites you the most?

Without revealing too much, there are some very exciting design ideas that shift from a traditional Shakespearean Globe-inspired setting into something straight out of a music video or pop concert. That transition and juxtaposition is really fun to play with.

If you could bottle the emotional impact of & JULIET into one word or one image, what would it be, and how do you hope audiences will carry that with them after they leave the Empire?

Exhilarating. Exhilarating to see Romeo and Juliet turned on its head. Exhilarating to have nostalgic, banging pop songs drive the story forward. Exhilarating to watch a new, young, and passionate group of artists tell a story that reflects them. Exhilarating to witness another bold evolution of the brilliant medium that is musical theatre.

Cast applications for & JULIET open September 15 with an audition workshop to be held at The Empire on October 11 prior to the closure of audition applications. &JULIET plays at The Empire from 13 – 22 March 2026.