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Greetings and Salutations! Heathers the Musical has returned with a brand new cast.
We recently caught “Heathers: The Musical” at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, and let me tell you, if you haven’t seen this production or seen the film before, it iss a ride! As someone who’s a bit protective of the original 1988 film, I was cautiously optimistic about this musical adaptation.
The previous UK tour that hit Cardiff in 2021 had already impressed me, but there’s always that niggling worry that some of the film’s edginess might get lost in translation. You know what though? This modern musical takes a clever approach, holding onto the core plot of the cult film while navigating today’s sensitive issues like American school shootings and teen suicide.
Let’s be real, tackling themes like teen suicide, bullying, and murder in a musical is no small feat, but “Heathers” pulls it off in style. The songs? Oh boy, they’re huge and irresistibly catchy. With most songs getting a huge applause the hit of the night has to be “My Dead Gay Son,” where the two dads surprisingly reveal a lot more than their fishing stories from ’86 not only make every laugh with their antics and flamboyant dancing, but they the also deal with the homophobia that surrounds the older generations living in denial very well. Yet, the ultimate gem is “Seventeen,” with its perfectly nostalgic ’80s vibes that’ll hit you right in the feels.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”31071″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Now, let’s talk about the cast, after all i did mention that i have seen this show a few times and i was keen to see how this 2023 cast would live up to the challenge . And it’s fair to say they were seriously on fire! You might recognise Kingsley Morton, who rocked as Martha Dunstock– aka, Wednesday from “The Addams Family” musical. Her solo in the second act? Perfection. Then there’s Jacob Fowler, JD, who won “Little Mix: The Search.” His portrayal of JD added an extra layer of sinister depth to the character and a less likeable, unstable misfit boyfriend , his vocals as you would expect very good harmonising perfectly with Veronica. As for Jenna Innes, she aced the role of Veronica Sawyer, owning the stage and sharing some believable chemistry with JD. Her solo numbers in the second act were faultless and smooth, which is seriously impressive as she features in almst every song in this show.
But the real show-stealers? The murder victims themselves. Verity Thompson, as Heather Chandler, nailed it. I mean, she had the look, the voice, and the attitude that could make a grown adult quiver. And let’s not forget Alex Woodward and Morgan Jackson, aka Kurt and Ram – their hilarious Bill & Ted chemistry and rude insensitivity was lighthearted and always left a smile on our faces even in death whilst Morgan’s dance capabilities was as impressive as his physique. which was handy as the pair spend much of the second act in their pants.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”31069″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]From start to finish, the performances given by this cast were brilliant and everyone produced passionate performances that give the show a real sense of momentum, energy with slice of twisted sinister darkness. Even if you’re not well-versed in the movie or musical, i would definitely go and see it . This production serves up a strangely heartening and thought-provoking experience that’s totally worth checking out and judging by the audience enjoyed by everyone. Heathers has been given an age recommendation of 14-plus due to its challenging subject matter and use of offensive language and not very graphic sex scene, and i would say this is spot on After all “The extreme always seems to make an impression” . So go on, grab your ticket and get ready for a wild teenage angst ride with a body count.
5 stars
Heather’s the Musical is at the Wales Millennium centre until Saturday 26th August.
Start time:
Tue – Sat 7.30pm
Wed, Thu & Sat 2.30pm
- Tickets start from £17
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