Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 29th July 2023
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
Heathers The Musical is the award winning stage adaptation of the cult 1988 film “Heathers”. I didn’t know the film but was intrigued by the brief synopsis I had seen and I was surrounded by people who had loved and were raving about it – so expectations were high. I was not disappointed.
Although the name of the work is Heathers it is really Veronica (who is desperate to join the Heathers group to gain some popularity) who is the real star. Jenna Innes brought amazing range to the role giving us tenderness, fear, anger, vulnerability, a warrior spirit in the face of spiralling events and much more. Her singing voice was gorgeous and I found her acting utterly compelling as she made this quirky leading role very believable. Every inch a star in the making.
Jacob Fowler, as lead male Jason “J.D.” Dean, was equally charismatic in a poetic reading. I loved his introduction with the comical slow motion fight scene which justified his place on the stage alone – wonderful direction from Andy Fickman in evidence.
The two jocks (think American football, not Scotland) – Kurt (Alex Woodward) and Ram (Morgan Jackson) were the most obvious comedy elements (though there is much comedy throughout for all the cast). They worked exceptionally well together, providing many laugh out loud (and cringeworthy) moments. As did the actors playing their fathers: Jay Bryce (Kurt’s dad) and Conor McFarlane (Ram’s) were hilarious, particularly in the song “My Dead Gay Son” – my favourite number of the entire piece. I would happily vote for a spin off show of the dad’s further adventures.
The entire cast displayed a rambunctious spirit and all deserve much praise. I was especially taken with Billie Bowman’s Heather McNamara; she brought a refreshing, youthful exuberance that was infectious. Kingsley Morton playing Martha Dunnstock was another pivotal character that was sensitively wrought.
The music is very 80’s influenced (to my ears) giving a Buffy meets High School Musical feel. It’s an extremely catchy score, supported by lyrics that intelligently propel the story along as well as being stand alone pieces, many of which are very inspirational.
The set was a masterclass in how to produce maximum effect with limited stage real estate. A balcony, a screen, some movable pieces that double as several things. The costumes were exactly what you would expect from 17 year old fashionistas and were a feast for the eyes. Very inventive stuff from David Shields (Set and Costume Designer).
What I was most impressed with was that the writers (Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe) managed to weave a rather uplifting musical out of some very dark, perhaps unpromising subject matter. The really clever part was juxtaposing the darkest of elements with the lightest, giving us plenty of emotion as well as some much needed light relief.
At the finale the audience were on their feet cheering loudly in vociferous support. And rightly so, for this is a superb show with amazing music, fantastic singing and dance routines… It really has everything. Most of all, it’s a whole lot of fun! If you loved SiX you will love this. Get yourself down to Malvern Theatre and mingle with the in-crowd. You won’t regret it.