★★★★☆
Dear Diary,
If the opportunity to see Heathers the musical presents itself, do not deny your theatre-yearning heart the chance to see it live in all its dramatic glory.
Heathers, now at the Lyceum, follows high school student Veronica Sawyer, a social outcast among her peers but desperate to survive until graduation. When opportunity presents itself with the Heathers clique, Veronica finds popularity comes at the cost of her own morals. Veronica’s high school romance with the sinister ‘bad boy’ Jason Dean (J.D.) also leads her down a destructive path.
What makes this musical so undeniably mesmerising and thrilling is its score of catchy, energetic numbers ranging from dark and edgy (‘Candy Store’ and ‘Dead Girl Walking’) to colourful and infectious (‘Big Fun’, ‘My Dead Gay Son’ and ‘Shine A Light’). However it is the deeper layers to the songs which illustrate the impact of a school social hierarchy that encourages bullying and violence, in both a physical and sexual sense. Beneath the surface of these high school character tropes are scared, traumatised teenagers resorting to hurtful ways to ease their insecurities.
Markus Sodergren and Beau Jackson are hilariously brilliant playing the two football jocks, Kurt and Ram. A comedic duo as tight-knit, brainless bullies, their identical physical embodiment of throwing their muscles around to intimidate makes the audience laugh at their childish, but fierce, loyalty to each other.
The production is a feat of vocal excellence and charming character portrayals, with energetic and eye-catching choreography showcased in big ensemble numbers such as ‘Candy Store’, ‘Big Fun’ and ‘Never Shut Up Again’. The three Heathers—Chandler, Duke and McNamara, performed by Liberty Stottor, Jessica Ibadin, and Lou Henry respectively— are stylish, effortlessly in sync and pitch perfect with impressive belting.
However, a crucial part of musical theatre is the storytelling. Behind the iconic showstopping numbers and comedic beats are insecure, often twisted, characters who firmly cement this musical into the satirical dark comedy genre, despite its initial impressions as a high school romcom. These high schoolers are far more nuanced and flawed than what meets the surface, an aspect that feels lacking in this touring production.
J.D., played by Louis Hearsey, is a tortured and ‘damaged’ teen, traumatised by the haunting suicide of his mother and emotional abuse of his father, yet his performance veers into cartoonish. His creepy physicality and emotional apathy results in a character portrayal that feels too villainous. This apathy also blends into the chemistry between Veronica and J.D. which does not feel earth-shatteringly real.
Gerardine Sacdalan, who navigates Veronica’s challenging vocal acrobatics with accomplished ease, also falls short in terms of characterisation. From the opening number ‘Beautiful’ and throughout the first act, Sacladan’s girly naivete and bubbly energy jars with what we know to be true about Veronica: she is a social outcast, clever but underconfident and disillusioned by the high school ecosystem surrounding her. The character’s grit and emotional intelligence is instead sacrificed in favour of a more comedic angle, as Veronica fawns over J.D. with an exaggerated amount of lovesickness that feels almost caricature.
The second act shows an abrupt switch in character, marked by a belty, popstar-worthy performance of ‘I Say No’ as Veronica finally decides to cut ties with the murderous J.D. While it is refreshing to witness this assertive and serious side to her, there is little character development in act one to lay the groundwork for this sudden transformation.
Heathers is a beloved cult-classic movie-turned-hugely-popular-musical, and it is clear to see why. Perhaps alongside its soaring popularity has come a more sanitised production that focuses on hitting stand-out vocal and visual moments over the emotional nuance of teenage characters. However, with an undeniably incredible cast and a musical bursting with catchy numbers, you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time.
Image Credits: Pamela Raith
