Bristol Hippodrome – until 13 November 2021
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
4****
Straight from the West End, Heathers, Andy Fickman, Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s brilliant direction, lyrics and music has landed in Bristol and ‘how very’ fabulous it is!!
Set in Westerberg School, Veronica Sawyer (Rebecca Wickes) tries to fit in with the Heathers (Maddison Firth, Merryl Ansah and Lizzy Parker). She subsequently falls in love with JD (Simon Gordon) who turns out to be a dangerous individual, killing anyone who makes Veronica feel inadequate.
Vocally, this cast excelled. There was not a single moment during the show where the energy lulled, a huge achievement. Rebecca Wickes was phenomenal-her voice was so versatile and she really showcased her talents during ‘Dead Girl Walking’. Her expertise and fluidity throughout the song was superb. Coupled with Simon Gordon, the two were a perfect match and during ‘Our Love is God’ had the most beautiful harmonies that were so clean! The Heathers-Firth, Ansah and Parker-were the perfect villains you love to hate. Firth was so animated and made us all laugh through our hatred. Ansah and Parker were also vocally encapsulating during their solos.
For me, the stand out performance was Mhairi Angus as Martha Dunnstock, the outcast who seemed to be the butt of the jokes. She was astounding, at no point when she was on stage did she falter and her solo ‘Kindergarten Boyfriend’ was the best of the night. She grasped the audience from the first note, and at one point my jaw dropped through complete awe of her performance-truly spectacular!‘Shine a Light’ sung by Georgina Hagen as Ms.Fleming was also a standout song. It was vocally exquisite and used some very simple but effective choreography and props. And a special mention to Bayley Hart
Heathers is definitely the show for you if you want modern brilliance with a love story twist. The cast are amazing with such energy, excitement and pride that I don’t know how you couldn’t come out of the theatre smiling!