Heathers The Musical 2024 Tour at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Invited | Review by Samantha Pearson
Heathers The Musical has landed at Newcastle Theatre Royal this week and I had the privilege of going into watching without reading too much into the synopsis, which in turn had me both hysterically laughing to shrieking and on the edge of my seat within a matter of minutes, not many performances can make you do that! The Musical first hit the stage in 2014, created by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy and takes a modern, yet still dark, unsettling and powerfully humorous take on the film of the same name from 1988 starring Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer and Christian Slater as Jason Dean.
Arriving at the venue, it was wonderful to see so many cult fans turning up in their tartan pleated skirts and knee-high socks to represent the ‘Heathers’, three popular, beautiful, yet desperately unkind girls studying at Westerberg High, a trio every girl wishes to be a part of and every boy wishes to be with! Until that wish finally comes true for Veronica Sawyer, once they become aware of her ‘forgery’ skills and the Heathers take her in to use her for her advantages.
Soon after, a new, cool kid called JD shows up and instantly charms and beguiles Veronica causing her life to take a dramatic, chaotic and sinister turn and we soon are fixated on a storyline highlighting a dark comedy full of teenage life, love, popularity, suicide, bullying and violence.
Jenna Innes plays the role of Veronica Sawyer since February 2023, although being a first-timer to the show and not seeing anyone else play the part, it’s hard to imagine finding someone who captivates the audience like Jenna does. Her voice stuns and she embodies all that is Veronica with her excellent stage presence and portrayal. Keelan Mcauley stole the show, and had me captivated and I almost felt sucked into his ominous, forbidding character. His voice and stage presence are astounding, powerful and enthralling.
Esme Bowlder gives an incredibly powerful performance as Heather Chandler, and it’s great to see her being used to her full potential after becoming a finalist in ‘I Have a Dream’ and almost bagging the role of Sophie in the West End production Mamma Mia – no one deserves it more. Daisy Twells as Heather McNamara is a wonderful choice and it’s great to see her returning to play the part and it was also great to see understudy Jasmine Cole represent Heather Duke, although the cover of ‘Never Shut Up Again’ was slightly underwhelming.
The whole ensemble deserves a mention, especially the musical number ‘My Dead Gay Son’ opening Act Two which allowed us to be brought back down to earth again without being totally engrossed in the main meaning behind the show. Especially Martha’s ‘Kindergarten Boyfriend’ which was remarkably tragic yet stunningly highlighted real-life issues faced by young people today, a wonderful part played by Amy Miles.
The pit band featured in this tour is slightly larger than previous productions and I felt they carried the whole show from start to finish through both the musical numbers and emotive sound effects that fit perfectly through both acts.
Ultimately, Heathers The Musical is an eye-opening, entertaining, dark yet strangely heartwarming production that easily led to a standing ovation from the whole crowd and a hard-working dedicated cast to go with it! A must-see if you want something a little obscure!
Heathers the Musical plays Newcastle Theatre Royal, Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 Sep 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.