(5 / 5)
Heathers certainly has a cult following if the red, green, yellow and blue costumes in the audience are anything to go by and judging by the overwhelming response to every single musical number in the show!
Based on the film of the same name released in 1989, Heathers has had a successful run of productions both on Broadway and in the West End. In fact, the most recent tour was 2023, so the show’s popularity is obvious. It has gone through various iterations and versions, with the most recent featuring new songs and replacements for others. ‘Blue’ is replaced with ‘You’re Welcome;’ Heather Duke gets a song in ‘Never Shut Up Again’ and we get the big, belt number, ‘I Say No’ for Veronica, originally created for Carrie Hope Fletcher when she played the role in the West End.
The story is a dark comedy, with particularly intense and difficult themes. Nothing is shied away from; we see bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault and school violence. Veronica longs to simply survive High School without being bullied and picked on every single day. She manages to convince the Heathers, a group of ultra popular, ‘teflon’ girls to accept her as one of their own, and chaos ensues. She meets the enigmatic and damaged new student JD, and inadvertently gets caught up in his desires to rid the world and their high school of anyone he deems unacceptable to the better society he envisions. The show embraces these tough subjects and never holds back. It grabs you by your coloured school blazer and refuses to let go until the very end.
The action bursts onto the stage with ‘Beautiful,’ introducing us to Veronica and Westerburg High in 1989. Jenna Innes returns to the role after the tour in 2023; she is a fantastic Veronica, the loveable nerd who just wishes High School could be different, that everyone could get along just like they did in Kindergarten. The song is a fantastic opener, introducing all the characters and setting the tone for the darkly comic nature of the show.
Jenna Innes is entirely believable as Veronica, with a powerful voice and exceptional delivery of both dramatic and comic lines. She is quickly corrupted by her involvement with the Heathers and the damaged JD. This is not an easy sing, (and she barely leaves the stage!), but she delivers the big numbers with absolute ease, and I particularly love her facial expressions and reactions to everything going on around her. My favourite number is ‘I Say No,’ but every song is delivered with poise and a belt to die for. Her character arc is expertly delivered, and this is clearly a role that Jenna adores and was born to play.
‘Beautiful’ also introduces us to the Heathers themselves, Heather McNamara, ‘the head cheerleader,’ Heather Duke, ‘no discernible personality but her mom paid for implants’ and of course, Heather Chandler who is a ‘mythic bitch.’ They work so well together as a group; ‘Candy Store’ is exceptional; harmonies and dancing are on point and the lyrics are entirely inappropriate and therefore, completely hilarious. Each Heather gives a great performance, each clearly have fantastic vocal chops and can dance to match. Esme Bowdler particularly comes into her own after her untimely demise, with her haunting of Veronica in turns hilarious and menacing. Sedona Sky as Heather Duke delivers one hell of a number in ‘I Will Never Shut Up Again’ and Daisy Twells as Heather McNamara is the loveable ‘dumb blonde’ until her rendition of ‘Lifeboat’ which paints her as much more than we first perceived and is a powerhouse vocal performance.
Other special mention to Amy Miles who makes her professional debut as Martha Dunnstock and who leaves the audience breathless with her performance of ‘Kindergarten Boyfriend;’ you could hear a pin drop in the silences of the song and Amy owns her second.
The ‘villain’ of the piece, JD fights his way into our hearts with a highly comedic ‘kicking of asses’ in ‘Fight for Me’ where he very slowly knocks out Kurt and Ram (very ably played by Iván Fernández González and Jason Battersby respectively, both exceptionally funny and fantastic movers!). JD is portrayed by Keelan McAuley, and I was in awe of his vocals, the way he can sustain that gruff belt over a considerable tour is impressive. Nothing is held back, especially in ‘Meant to Be Yours’ and ‘Freeze Your Brain.’ His character arc in the show is amazing; he goes from damaged teenager to all out murderer of his fellow students in his quest to make a ‘decent world for decent people.’ He makes this very believable, and his study of the character has clearly paid off.
There are so many moments of incredible singing and hilarious delivery of lines; Lucy Sinclair shines as Ms. Fleming and Veronica’s Mom, especially in Fleming’s ill judged TV campaign against teen suicide in ‘Shine a Light.’ Conor McFarlane (Ram’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper) and Alexander Service (Kurt’s Dad/Veronica’s Dad/Principal Gowan) absolutely steal the show in ‘My Dead Gay Son’ with dancing and rainbows aplenty. The whole ensemble dance and sing their absolute socks off in every scene and the show is punchily delivered in every musical number.
All in all, I’ve seen this show once before, but this iteration was honestly well worth the standing ovation that the whole theatre delivered as soon as the cast came on for their bows. The show is full of difficult topics which still resonate today, 35 years after the show is set. To see so many young people in the audience, clearly loving every second and able to identify with some of the experiences on stage means that musical theatre will continue to thrive long into the future. To that end, Heathers deserves a place up there with some of the classics for, after all, ensuring that audiences continue to fill those theatre seats is ultimately the goal of all musicals and one that Heathers clearly does with ease.