Struggling to Survive School - Heathers: The Musical
Heathers: The Musical at The Belgrade Theatre from 15 – 19 September.
Review by Alison Manning
School can be a tough place, where popular kids are top of the pecking order and others are picked on, made fun of and victimised. What does it take to survive?
Heathers: The Musical, presented by Bill Kenwright Ltd & Paul Taylor-Mills, currently at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, is a school drama with a dark side where the characters have to choose between popularity, normality or fighting back. Veronica is struggling with school when she comes to the attention of the Heathers, and chooses to become friends with them, despite not liking them and preferring her old friend Martha, as a striving for the protection their popularity brings, but at what cost? She also finds herself falling for mysterious newcomer James “J.D.” Dean and thinks this might be a better relationship to pursue…
In Westerberg High, the three Heathers are seemingly the most popular, powerful pupils in the school. This is reflected in their dramatic first entrance where they appear and are instantly doted upon by their adoring peers. Their stance is almost that of posing popstars receiving the idolisation of their adoring fans. The bold colour costumes reflect their dominance, with Heather Chandler in characteristic red, Heather Duke in green and Heather McNamara in yellow, each with short suit jacket, tartan skirt and matching long socks and scrunchies, in a slightly modernised style but with still a nod to the 1980s, the era of the film the musical originates from. The lighting reflects their status, sometimes even with red, yellow and green lights highlighting each Heather. This colour coding of the Heathers, with their essentially matching outfits in different colours is representative of their uniformity but difference and becomes symbolic of their power struggles.
This high energy production features powerful singing, lively dancing with dramatic lifts and a live band, with some strong performances from both individuals and the ensemble. Standout performances include Gerardine Sacdalan as Veronica, Louis Hearsey as J.D and Sophie Manners as Martha, who can all more than hold their own singing solos accompanied by the loud band in a show where it is essential that the audience understand all the words of the songs to enable them to follow the plot.
Alongside the vigorous music, the dynamic lighting adds greatly to the show, particularly in dramatic moments when it is used to great effect for instance with flashes or when we are suddenly plunged into darkness at start of interval. Freeze frames are also used effectively, adding drama, often while one of the characters sings or dances around them, whilst the rest freeze in position, commenting on them. There is also a slow-motion fight scene, which adds to the drama and the humour. The set is also very versatile, with bits of furniture being moved around by the cast, using alternate sides of items for different purposes in different scenes, such as a shop or a school locker, and at times just slotted into the wider set.
A dark comedy, this show features strong language and deals with some very heavy issues, including bullying, suicide, sexual assault, childhood trauma and violence, and still somewhat reflects the 80s attitudes of its origins, but it is also suffused with, often irreverent, occasionally outrageous humour, drama, energy, memorable songs and flamboyance, as it careers towards its explosive finale.
This boisterous musical is never dull and has a devoted cult following. It raises questions about the threat of popularity, the vulnerability of honesty, the divine strength of love, the struggle for survival, particularly in toxic school hierarchies, and elevates the humble scrunchie into a symbol f power! It continues at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, till Saturday 19 September and you can get tickets here: https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/heathers-the-musical-2/
or catch it on the rest of its UK tour: https://heathersthemusical.com/uk-ireland-tour/tour-dates-uk-ireland/
Sounds powerful.