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BrumHour saw Heathers at the invite of The Alexandra.
By George Elsmere-Whitney twitter.com/caramellattekiss
Review: Heathers returns to The Alexandra
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”A high-energy romp”
Directed by Andy Fickman, book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe
All Veronica Sawyer (Jenna Innes) wants is to survive her senior year mostly unscathed. A talent for forgery gets the popular crowd’s attention, but Veronica soon finds that being a high school somebody isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Veronica’s new friends soon turn against her, but the mysterious new boy, JD, (Jacob Fowler) has an extreme plan to get revenge. As things rapidly unravel, Veronica discovers that high school can be murder.
Heathers the Musical is a high-energy romp, carrying its dedicated fanbase on a wild ride through high-school parties, sex, and murder. There’s a reason this show has become a viral sensation on TikTok. The bright, primary colours of David Shield’s costumes and Ben Cracknell’s lighting design create an iconic look that is immediately recognisable as Heathers.
The songs, written by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, are the show’s main strength. It delivers banger after banger, with a parade of catchy, pop hits, designed to show off the cast’s ability to belt. The cast are all accomplished singers, but Jenna Innes and Verity Thompson (Heather Chandler) are particular standouts.
Verity Thompson is clearly having a riot playing the almost cartoonishly awful Heather Chandler. Every line and movement is dialled up to eleven, and she nails playing everyone’s high school nightmare. She’s so much fun to watch that it makes Heather Chandler almost impossible to hate.
As JD, Jacob Fowler flips easily from charming bad boy to genuinely sinister as the story progresses. His excellent chemistry with Jenna Innes‘ Veronica makes it much easier to believe that Veronica is pulled into JD’s increasingly disturbing plans for as long as she is. For a while, the audience believes the fantasy, just as Veronica does, that their love has made them into some sort of avenging angels for the downtrodden at school.
David Shield’s set, alongside the lighting design from Ben Cracknell, is used very cleverly. Simple changes to the set and lighting, and the creative use of a balcony, make it very clear where the action is taking place, even with minimal props and set pieces on stage.
Heathers the Musical is a wild romp through the extremes of high school, with songs that will lodge in your brain for days afterwards. It’s impossible not to have fun with this show, even as the body count starts to creep up.
Heathers the Musical is at The Alexandra until Saturday 20 May 2023. Book tickets using BrumHour’s affiliate link >> HERE <<.
