★★★★★
Review: Heathers The Musical, presented by Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills,- on tour throughout the UK until the end of November 2024 and at the Oxford Playhouse until 26 September. For Oxford performances book here. Our reviewer attended the Oxford show on Tuesday 22 October at the Oxford Playhouse.
[Disclosure: Our reviewer received free tickets, a free programme, and free drinks for the purposes of this review.]
Heathers the Musical is a dark comedy based on the cult classic 80s film Heathers. Set in an American high school, it follows Veronica Sawyer, a smart but socially awkward teen who falls in with the popular yet cruel clique led by three girls named Heather. Veronica develops a relationship with rebellious new comer, the mysterious J.D. The story takes a sinister turn as Veronica’s and J.D.’s relationship deepens.
I’m old enough to remember the original Heathers movie, which was released in 1989. Its dark humour and themes transformed the classic coming-of-age high school story into a sharply subversive, much darker narrative. It was Christian Slater’s menacing performance as J.D. in the original movie that first drew comparisons to Jack Nicholson.
Generally, I’m not a big fan of adapting old movies into contemporary musicals. With so many fresh, compelling stories to tell, it feels a bit stultifying to do this type of rehashing. That said, musical theatre is a risky business, and it's rare for anyone to take a chance on something completely original.
In the case of Heathers, however, I think there is a compelling reason to revisit this story. The story’s exploration of teenage mental health and suicide – framed through a darkly comic lens – feels sadly relevant in our post COVID world.
Last’s night’s opening night at the Oxford Playhouse was completely sold out. The theatre was packed with a primarily younger audience, who, if their cheers and applause were anything to go by, loved every second of the show. And there is a lot to love. The production values are slick - with the sets, costume, music and lighting brilliantly capturing the essence of the 80s.
Last night, understudy May Tether played the role of Veronica. Tether was absolutely extraordinary – her singing voice is beautiful and, unusually in a big bang musical such as this – full of subtle musical colour. The role of J.D. was played by Canadian actor Keelan McCauley, who has one of the most beautiful singing voices I’ve heard live for a long time. All the performances were great fun, delightfully over the top, and full of energy.
The Oxford Playhouse recommends the show for ages 14 and up, but not every teen will be in the frame of mind to explore suicide, substance abuse, and exploration of identity in this over the top way. If I had a particularly sensitive teen or someone who doesn’t connect well with dark humour, I’d likely choose to skip this production. Alternatively, those who are deeply religious or conservative may not appreciate this production’s irreverent humour.
But I absolutely loved this production, and based on the enthusiastic, pop concert-like cheers from the audience throughout, it was clear everyone else did too.
All images © Pamela Raith Photography - provided by the Oxford Playhouse for use in this review.
If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy reading my reviews of other musicals.
Please consider donating to Oxford based arts/mental health charity Ark T.
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