The legendary show of Heathers gets revamped once again with the injection of new cast members hitting Westerberg High. Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s musical, currently housing itself back at The Other Palace, after its two runs at Theatre Royal Haymarket and UK Tour, gets a standing ovation for the perfectly presented version of the cult musical.
In this ‘big fun’-filled musical, based on the 1988 hit film which starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, we see the story of a ‘nobody’ teen having to choose between popularity and morals, with a hint of romance - and a large drop of darkness.
The standout performance is taken by Erin Caldwell making her debut of the lead role, Veronica Sawyer. Caldwell blows the audience away with her whimsical acting choices, brilliant humour, and flawless notes in ‘Dead Girl Walking’ and ‘I Say No’. Fans were in awe of Nathanael Landskroner’s performance of the twisted and turbulent Jason ‘J.D’ Dean, whilst sipping on their iconic slushies from the bar - feeling as though they are in the 7/11 themselves.
The Other Palace’s auditorium creates an intimate atmosphere for the musical, making no alteration to the beauty of the show compared to being on a much larger West-End Stage. Fellow Westerberg students, such as Amonik Melaco and Bayley Hart, ensure no inch of the space is left without an energetic and eye-catching performance. Transitions are flawlessly smooth, even though vast changes are executed in such a small space. Not much has changed at all since its previous runs, but this is likely due to its consistent success with both doting fans and casual musical-theatre patrons alike.
Apart from a few minor microphone cuts and sound levelling inaccuracies, meaning some lines aren’t heard as well as they could have been, the show was technically very strong. With gorgeous lighting from Ben Cracknell, and beautiful design from David Shields, it is hard to fault this production.
Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, Heathers has still not lost its touch that it brought to the UK back in 2018. This run of the musical still ticks every box for members of the cult fan base. Heathers is running at The Other Palace until February 2023.
Review: Anna Hulm Photo: Pamela Raith