One of the most iconic shows of the last 15 years, Heathers the Musical is a black comedy based on the 1998 film.
We went to see it during its showing at the Theatre Royal on its press night. It is touring the UK until May 2027 (heathersthemusical.com). We have shared our honest thoughts about the show. There are themes mentioned that may be triggering, so please read with caution.
If you’re looking for September events in Nottingham, Heathers the Musical is playing at the Theatre Royal until September 12 (from £22pp, trch.co.uk). For more reviews like this, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
Heathers at Theatre Royal, Nottingham theatre review
★★★
By Charlotte Brudenell
Photos by Pamela Raith Photography
Heathers the Musical has taken the world by storm, and you could certainly say it is one of those shows that defines modern musical theatre. It’s based on the 1988 film of the same name, but turned into a show with plenty of pop-rock tunes blended with that Broadway flair.
It follows the story of a nerdy high schooler, Veronica Sawyer (Gerardine Sacdalan), who joins popular clique the Heathers (Liberty Stottor, Jessica Ibadin, Lou Henry) to avoid getting bullied. She meets the brooding JD (Louis Hearsey), who ends up being a lot darker than she thought…
Written by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, the show debuted Off-Broadway in 2014, and made its West End debut just four years later. It has also had multiple tours worldwide and gained a massive cult following. It has even won multiple What’sOnStage awards.
I thought the show really encapsulated that feeling of being a teenager in high school and dealt with difficult themes, such as suicide and sexual assault, very well. On the other hand, I feel as though some of the performances lacked energy and enthusiasm, and the script comes across as slightly cringeworthy.
Gerardine Sacdalan’s take on the protagonist’s role of Veronica was so unique, and I really enjoyed it for the most part. She came across as your typical teenage girl who seemed to be rather naive and dorky. Her rendition of I Say No was stunning and so powerful.
I do feel as though there were moments where she was lacking, as though some songs didn’t have the same energy as others – like in Dead Girl Walking, for example. Other than that, I really did enjoy her take on the character, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Heather Duke’s uptempo Never Shut Up Again entirely lacked the energy required for the number. I did notice there was some sort of issue with the microphones – the singing was overpowered by the orchestra at times, making the songs sound very quiet. So, perhaps this was not entirely the fault of the actors.
I absolutely adored Sophie Manners’ portrayal of Martha. She put so much emotion into her rendition of Kindergarten Boyfriend, and beautifully showed the darkness within her childish character.
The set was designed very well, using minimal set pieces and props, and still managing to convey the plot well is no easy feat. The costuming was still as iconic as ever, with the Heathers in their colourful outfits and the brooding JD in his all-black outfit. However, I didn’t like the choices regarding hair. This is very picky, I know, but allowing actors to wear their natural hair over a wig made it look more like an amateur production over a professional national touring production.
My favourite part of the show is the songs. They’re just so catchy and have the perfect blend of spiky tunes, and moving ballads. Yes, the actual script of the show is cringey. But I think that this may have been a creative choice to reflect the awkwardness of being a teenager and the school experience.
However, the songs were so fun and definitely a work of genius from O’Keefe and Murphy. I like how some of the instrumental parts hone back to songs previously sung or are yet to come, creating that important sense of foreshadowing. Dead Girl Walking and Freeze Your Brain are by far my favourites. It was a very nostalgic experience for me, as this soundtrack defined my later teenage years.
I definitely recommend Heathers the Musical to anyone who enjoys dark comedy and musicals with a punchy pop-rock score. It may not have hit the spot for me, but it certainly does for many, as it has such a large, dedicated following. If you’re a fan of the original film as well, I certainly recommend it. It may not be entirely accurate to the original plot, but it carries on the film’s legacy for a newer generation.
Heathers the Musical is playing at the Theatre Royal until September 12 (from £22pp, trch.co.uk) and is touring the UK until May 2027 (heathersthemusical.com).
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