I had the privilege of seeing the West End revival of ‘Heathers the Musical’ staged at the Other Palace Theatre twice, so here are my honest thoughts on the show. Please be advised that this review contains mentions of suicide, assault, and issues around body-image/ body dysmorphia.
Based on the iconic 80’s film of the same title starring the even more iconic Winona Ryder, ‘Heathers the Musical’ follows the story of wallflower Veronica Sawyer trying to make it through her teenage years unscathed in a school dominated by ‘The Heathers’. With their matching plaid skirts, blazers and scrunchies, the Heathers reign supreme at the top of the social food chain. In the words of the musical itself everyone either wants to be a Heather, be friends with a Heather or sleep with a Heather.
The Heathers make Veronica an honorary member of the exclusive clique, but everything changes after the arrival of new-comer and loner Jason Dean, who goes by JD. He takes an instant liking to Veronica and the love birds embark on a self-appointed vigilante mission to kill those evoking terror in the student body, framing them as suicides. Dark comedy at its finest.
For those who don’t consider themselves fans of the traditional mega-musical, ‘Heathers’ falls in a comfortable middle ground. The venue and cast size are smaller in comparison to many other West End theatres, leading to a much more intimate viewing experience.
Despite being set in the 80’s and following a story of teenagers, the stage version takes a subtle approach in relating 80’s nostalgia, allowing it to maintain a timeless sense of relatability. The same can be said about its subject matter. Underneath all its dark humour and teenage angst, the show relates a message of self-acceptance and learning to appreciate individuality that resonate with audiences of all ages.
Likewise, ‘Heathers’ is host to several memorable songs that carry more meaning than initially meets the eye. ‘Freeze your brain’ reveals how JD drowns and freezes out his emotions with slushies to avoid thinking of his traumatic childhood. ‘My dead gay son’ (always a crowd pleaser) is an anthem of acceptance of yourself and others. ‘I say no’ is Veronica breaking free of a toxic relationship and taking back agency in her own life, just to name a few.
The actors themselves do an incredibly effective job of narrating the story through their acting and impressive vocal range. Alisa Davidson masterfully captures Veronica’s quirky awkwardness of the movie version while belting song after song. However, Jacob Fowler’s performance as JD, while just as talented, did not exactly encapsulate the characters complexities. It felt like Fowler was playing too much into JD as the tortured and romantic type, wronged by the world and just looking for someone to love him. There is a danger in romanticising characters like JD. For that reason, I preferred the performance of Simon Gordon the second time around, who was able to passionately transcend into JD’s psychotic nature to depict his unravelling sanity.
Despite all its quirks and laughs, the insufficiency of the shows content notice and trigger warnings does need to be acknowledged. The current content warning draws attention to the production’s use of flashing lights and focus on suicide, but fails to mention themes and references of assault, issues with body-image and eating disorders.
A large criticism I personally had of the musical while watching it the second time around was their casting of a midsize actress in the role of a plus-size character – a move I feel only perpetuates feelings of body dysmorphia and issues with body image. Casting someone who is evidently mid-sized in a plus-sized role simultaneously invalidates and furthers the stigma around plus-sized bodies, while taking away an opportunity from a plus-sides actress to play the role.
To make theatre more accessible to everyone the show was actually professionally recorded and is now available for free viewing online on the Roku Channel using a VPN. So, if you personally don’t feel comfortable financially supporting a production as a result of what I’ve previously mentioned, you can still get a chance to view it for yourself and make your own judgements.
Similarly, for anyone else unable to see it live the recorded version stands as an excellent alternative. It’s great to enjoy with friends for a little movie night or on your own. Its dark comedy elements also make it an ideal watch for this upcoming spooky season. Viewing live theatre comes from a place of privilege that not everyone can experience for a variety of reasons, so I feel the need to praise ‘Heathers’ for taking it upon themselves to make theatre more readily available to everyone.
Overall, I feel like the show is worth a watch, and rate it an 8/10. It’s both fun and thought provoking, and very easily quotable, with honourable mentions including ‘fuck me gently with a chain saw’, ‘our love is God’, and ‘you look like hell – thanks, I just got back’. I’ll leave it up to you to come up with the contexts.
There’s a reason the film has amassed such a cult following, and the stage version manages to pay homage to elements that made the movie so memorable while adding its own twists to make it appealing for newer, younger audiences.