Birmingham Hippodrome – until 7th June 2025
Reviewed by Emma Millward
5*****
Based on the 1999 film of the same name, Cruel Intentions is a jukebox musical with a score made up of hit songs from the 1990s. Inspired by the 1782 novel ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses‘ by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, the show was created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and the film’s writer and director, Roger Kumble.
Set in New York City’s Upper East Side, it follows the decadent lives of spoilt and immoral step-siblings Kathryn Merteuil (Nic Myers) and Sebastian Valmont (Will Callan). Both are students at the prestigious Manchester Prep, where Sebastian is a relentless womaniser, while Kathryn hides her drug-taking and bed-hopping behind the facade of being a wholesome Christian role model to the other students. They devise a cruel bet with each other. Sebastian must seduce the Headmaster’s daughter Annette (Abbie Budden). If he loses the bet, Kathryn wins his classic car. If he succeeds, Kathryn will sleep with him. Sebastian is surprised to find that Annette is not going to be the willing conquest he expects, as she doesn’t believe in sex before marriage. She also sees through his charming but manipulative ways. Along the way we meet the naïve and clumsy Cecile Caldwell (Lucy Carter), who Kathryn befriends in order to exact revenge as Kathryn’s ex-boyfriend Court Reynolds (Ben Fenwick) dumped her to pursue Cecile.
While following the plot of the film fairly closely, the action is interspersed with songs from such acts as Britney Spears, Ricky Martin and, of course, Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, which I was so pleased to hear. Some jukebox musicals often shoehorn songs into the narrative and it can become a tad awkward. Cruel Intentions mostly avoids this, possibly because many of the songs featured in the actual film. The production skilfully manages to pack over 24 songs in without overwhelming the storyline. The small but perfectly formed cast is outstanding. Nic Myers and Will Callan were exceptional as Kathryn and Sebastian. Their vocals throughout were amazing. Abbie Budden is great as Annette, who is definitely the most down-to-earth character in an undeniably over-the-top show. For me, two other performances that really stood out were Lucy Carter as Cecile, and Luke Conner Hall as Blaine. Both gave exaggerated comedic performances, particularly during their songs, which the audience loved.
The set and costume design by Polly Sullivan transported us back to the 90s. The backdrop, designed to resemble a lavish mansion, could be quickly transformed into other locations using removable props. The clever lighting design by Nick Riching featured colour-changing panels within the backdrop, further enhancing the scenery changes. Some of the costumes are replicas of outfits the main characters wear in the film and I enjoyed spotting these little touches.
As the show started, we were given a little pep talk via a voice-over by Sarah Michelle Gellar, or, as she calls herself, “The O.G Kathryn’ telling us that “It’s not that difficult. Take out that second-rate phone and hit the silent button!”. This cheeky beginning to the show was a quick reminder that we weren’t in standard musical territory here. This is a show that includes strong, often outdated language, racial discrimination and drug use. The programme warns that the language reflects the 1999 time period. The show still delivers a naughty but nostalgic night out packed with songs that left the audience eager to dance when the curtain call arrived.