Picture: Pamela Raith
Heathers was reviewed at Curve Leicester. The production continues touring until 4 November 2023.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
We all know that, almost without exception, the high school years are dreadful and most of us barely make it out alive. This is even more true in the world of Heathers, the deliciously dark Broadway musical (based on the 1989 film of the same name), which became a cult hit stateside before developing a fiercely loyal teen fanbase over here too. Although labelling it a ‘teen’ show is doing it a massive injustice (while being pretty inaccurate), as there are plenty of grown-up hormone-driven antics going on at Westerberg High, which give this show its razor-sharp bite. Heathers is a far cry from the sugary perkiness of Glee and High School Musical, choosing instead to delve into the darker side of adolescence, with bite, boys and bloodshed. Oh, and show tunes.
Veronica Sawyer (played here by Jenna Innes) barely fits in at Westerburg High and is tormented by the braindead mass of jocks and mean girls which seem to haunt all American high schools. Ruling over all of the social warfare are the almighty ‘Heathers’ (Verity Thompson, Billie Bowman and Elisa Zavou), who decide who’s popular and who’s exiled. A chance favour sees Veronica joining the Heathers’ clique, merely as a way to get by, and she begins to believe school life might just be bearable, especially with the arrival of enigmatic new kid Jason ‘JD’ Dean (Jacob Fowler). When a seemingly innocent prank results in death, Veronica and JD’s relationship takes a dark turn as they cover up the death as a suicide, unaware that this is just the start of JD’s much more sinister plan.
Punching to the gut from the outset with some bold direction from Andy Finkman, Heathers takes no prisoners in its approach to making an impact, and its reputation as a dark cult hit is well deserved. Brash, in your face and a little rough around the edges, the self-assurance of its own identity comes off the stage in waves as it offers the perfect antidote to the normal teen romantic melodramas.
This is a twisted gothic romance plagued by the horrors of growing up, doomed from the start, and yet the audience can’t help but go along for the ride. Lawrence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s book doesn’t mince its words, savage at times, but makes its points with the sharpness of a meat cleaver. There’s some strong language sprinkled throughout, and some shocking imagery, but it wouldn’t work any other way. This isn’t Troy Bolton and the Wildcats, we’re talking murder here.
The show’s distinctively gloomy nature is driven by a powerful edgy score of rock-pop (also by Murphy and O’Keefe) which becomes better with each listen as its melodies drive deeper into your brain. Every main character has at least one big moment in the spotlight, although Veronica’s middle name may actually be Elphaba… it’s a big sing and she carries the lion’s share of the belting, especially ‘Dead Girl Walking’ and ‘I Say No’. Although the set design (by David Shields) is primarily a permanent brick backdrop with some portable stage pieces to depict different places, it all works well and makes good use of the available space. The upbeat choreography (Gary Lloyd) brings fun and fierceness in equal measure to keep the tempo moving, and Johnny Palmer’s costume design of the ‘Heathers’ in their signature colours creates iconic imagery every time the Terrible Trio takes to the stage to slay.
This touring cast of Heathers is among the best we’ve seen in these roles, and they’re long enough into the run now for the performances to feel truly bedded in and like a second skin for most of the principals. In addition to sounding amazing (and avoiding over-riffing like some previous singers have done), Innes makes sure Veronica remains likeable throughout, despite some shaky logic and iffy decisions which do nearly derail the character several times. But that’s the book’s fault, and Innes remains wonderful throughout.
Fowler does a fantastic job of underplaying JD to make him truly sinister, keeping the madness of the character simmering just beneath the surface until it’s time to unleash the wrath later, which again he does superbly. He also shows off his great voice to seductive effect with ‘Freeze Your Brain’ and ‘Meant to Be Yours’. As the ‘mythic bitch’ Heather Chandler, Thompson owns every scene she’s in and demands your attention, clearly loving her time up there and we need to hope that some more villainess roles fly her way soon. And also teasing a promising future is Kingsley Morton, who shines in the smaller but charming role of Martha Dunnstock, who steals everyone’s hearts as she soars through the song ‘Kindergarten Boyfriend’, acting the life out of it and creating one of the emotional highs of the whole show.
Heathers is a tense thrill ride with plenty of bite, and one of the rare instances where a musical adaptation is superior than the original. A great score and some fantastic performances make up for an occasionally illogical plot and final act, and there’s no denying the fearlessness and dark allure of this musical. It’s an entertaining night out for anyone wanting to revisit their inner teenager (although hopefully not inspiring to any actual ones).
Rob Bartley