For Emily Blunt’s visit to James Corden’s set of the Late Late Show in London on Thursday night, the Girl on the Train actor and comedian revisited their chemistry as a musical duo, taking a spin through the wild world of William Shakespeare in a pop remake of the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet.
“His play Romeo and Juliet is the iconic tale of two star-crossed lovers torn apart by their feuding families. And what better way of paying tribute to the great Bard himself than by performing this play as only the Late Late Show can? Tonight, we’ve got 14 songs, seven sets, one take, zero pressure,” Corden introduced the skit as Blunt launched into the first notes of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Blunt and Corden, who previously teamed up onscreen for Into the Woods, once again had the chance to get into character as a romantic pair — but this time with a bit more comedic edge (and contemporary music inspiration). Their Romeo and Juliet sing-through took them from Bruno Mars’s “Just the Way You Are” to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” to Britney Spears’s “Toxic,” all in the space of under seven minutes. Costumes, kung fu fighting, and a romantic balcony scene are also part of this impressive package. Check out their dramatic musical reenactment, above.