Gemma Wilson

The story has its shimmering moments — “where do we go, when we go?” the Noahs and Allies sing near the end — but ultimately the couple’s only adversary is time, which is, unfortunately, not a particularly compelling dramatic foil here.

Yes, it’s a long play, and long, naturalistic plays aren’t for everyone, nor are scenes and conversations that stretch out in real time. (And could this radio edit have trimmed an additional 15 or 20 minutes without losing the narrative? Sure.) But if you can tap into your presmartphone attention span, you’ll be rewarded with a funny, tense, deeply human drama — if you’re into that sort of thing.

Bookwriter David West Read, an Emmy winner for “Schitt’s Creek,” blended these two disparate properties into a soft-serve-sweet-swirl of a musical forged in the #girlboss era. But “& Juliet” has no interest in the tearjerking original ending of “R&J.” Here’s how they rewrite that story.

Mandviwala, an actor of spring-loaded energy, leads the charge into this show’s dreamlike world, built by a team of massively talented designers. Puppet design is by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, scenic and costume design by Tim Hatley, video and animation design by Andrzej Goulding, lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, and sound design by Carolyn Downing.