Review: HEATHERS, The Other Palace
Photo credit: Pamela Raith (West End cast)
Producer Bill Kenwright monopolised theatre headlines in October with news of his purchase of The Other Palace. Kenwright pledged to renew the legacy of this theatre as ‘the home of new musical theatre’. For now though, he has programmed another run of the long-established, smash-hit musical Heathers.
The questionable novelty of this production aside, this iteration of Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s musical – which now boasts a following almost as wildly dedicated as fans of their previous musical triumph Legally Blonde – showcases an ensemble of exciting, young emerging musical theatre performers. And whilst some may be embittered about this particular programming decision, it’s irritatingly impossible not to have a good time at Heathers.
It is hard to single anyone out from this stellar cast. Ailsa Davidson is a compelling Veronica, straddling the worlds of cool and cringe that her character is caught between. She channels a similar energy to Winona Ryder in original 1989 film. Freddie King is an astonishingly likeable JD (a famously unlikeable character, so that is no mean feat).
The solo numbers in the show are all well-performed with keen attention to character nuance, but particular mention needs to go to Teleri Hughes’ performance as Heather McNamara. Hughes portrayed her character’s fraying confidence with a tenderness that is moving to watch. Lizzie Bea’s solo is similarly moving, sung with perhaps the most clear and controlled voice in the entire cast.
There is a lot of tonal dissonance in this musical – as there is in the bizarre, absurd comedy of the original film – in the treatment of teenage suicide and depression through peppy, upbeat, cheerleading numbers. Sometimes, however, the tone is misjudged and the production could probably benefit in places from having the glossy, pep-rally veneer scratched off a little so the audience can enjoy a bit of the darkness and grit that lies underneath. For a musical with a lot of deaths, there’s not nearly as much blood as there could be. And the goofy humour of the musical number in which Veronica narrowly avoids date rape could afford to be turned down at least several notches.
As brilliantly funny and animated as all existing cast recordings of this musical are, there are a lot of unique delights you can only get from watching this musical onstage. The design team work together to create some wonderful visual effects, including a phenomenal costume reveal.
David Shields’ revolving set pieces make ingenious and evocative use of the relatively tight stage of The Other Palace, which barely contains the energetic ensemble.
Similarly effective use of the stage is made by Gary Lloyd’s tight choreography, which harnesses the apparently boundless energy of Westerberg High’s teachers and students alike.
If you haven’t seen it already, it is definitely well worth your time to catch Heathers at The Other Palace.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett
Heathers plays at The Other Palace until 20 February 2022, with tickets available here.