Review: MEAN GIRLS THE MUSICAL, Savoy Theatre
Photo credit: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
It’s been twenty years (yes, millennials) since Tina Fey blessed us with the iconic, cult-classic teen comedy that is Mean Girls.
Since then, Mean Girls has become a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon and it seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. After a made-for-television sequel in 2011, a hit Broadway musical adaptation in 2018 and a blockbuster movie musical adaptation earlier this year, the show has finally made its way to London’s West End.
Pretty in pink (and not just on Wednesdays), the Savoy Theatre has decorated its bars and corridors with pink lockers, mirrors and posters, making it even more exciting to be there.
As we take our seats, it is impossible not to notice the energy in the audience, a palpable sense of excited anticipation, which can only come from a collective sense of deep love and appreciation of what is about to happen. Expectations are definitely high.
But from the moment that Janis (Elena Skye) and Damian (the sensational Tom Xander) begin narrating their cautionary tale, it is clear that any fears of expectations not being met are completely unfounded.
Rarely has there been a cast so flawless in its entirety. From the smallest roles to every single one of the main characters, Natalie Gallacher’s casting is some of the finest casting the West End has seen in recent years.
Killer vocals and dance moves aside, the cast’s crowning achievement is that they all manage to find their own version of these iconic characters and breathe new life into lines of script that are so ingrained in peoples’ minds that it’s impossible to not recall them in their original delivery style. And while praise is due all-round, Georgina Castle’s Paris Hilton-esque Queen Regina is nothing short of magnetic.
The show cleverly navigates the need for multiple location changes by using video projections that can quickly and efficiently facilitate that, although sometimes it feels like “the easy way out”, with the stage being otherwise left bare, making some scenes feel a bit underwhelming, especially since a lot of other scenes are filled with pieces of set, props and ensemble members.
Katrina Lindsay’s costumes are truly inspired and perfectly encapsulate the essence of the characters throughout their individual character journeys.
The entire song list is absolutely glorious but, of course, any self respecting Mean Girls/musical theatre fan already knew that (if you’re not singing ‘Revenge Party’ to yourself all the way home, what are you even doing?!
Ultimately, however, the true success of this production and of the entire MGU (which naturally stands for Mean Girls Universe), lies in Tina Fey’s unique ability to use comedy as a means to dissect and criticise countless societal and cultural issues, from misogyny and patriarchal stereotypes to homophobia and bullying, without ever having any of the characters addressing them directly. What’s even more impressive is how she is able to constantly adapt her script to the societal and cultural standards of each generation, without ever diluting its essence.
This 2024 West End production is the perfect balance between teenage nostalgia and newly found obsession, and proves that the 2024 musical retelling of this fan-favourite story is definitely meant for the stage much more than it is for the screen.
So get in, loser, no need to wait until 3 October!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Erifyli Gigante
Mean Girls is currently booking at the Savoy Theatre until 16 February 2025, with tickets available here.
