Act one opens at Westerberg High with the first musical number “Beautiful”. The scene shows all the students walking around the high school singing their inner thoughts “Why do they hate me? Why do I act like such a creep? Why do I cry myself to sleep…”? The hellish atmosphere of high school fully surrounds and embodies the students. Amongst the crowd enters Veronica Sawyer, your typical straight A student who is constantly seen as a 'freak' and 'loser', the bottom of the high school food chain. “This ain’t no high school this is the thunder dome… hold your breath and count the days we’re graduating soon”
Sawye, played by Rebecca Wickes, perfectly captures the desire to escape the awful realities of high school bullies. Wickes's voice was incredible and really pulled you in to her character’s strong emotions.
With a flash of light and pink smoke engulfing the centre stage, A great entrance was made for the infamous “Heathers” to enter. All the ensemble's attention diverts to the Heathers, they are almost god -ike in the way they enter the stage. “Ohhh Heather Heather and Heather…” All in their signature colours Heather Chandler in her red tartan ensemble, Heather Duke in green and Heather Mcnamara in yellow.
“Heather Chandler the ultimate mythic bitch” Veronica Sawyer snorts and giggles commenting on the head Heather's arrival.
Heather Chandler, played by Madison Firth, owned the stage with her swagger and bitchy superiority over the two Heathers “Grow up Heather Bulimia is so 87”.
Firth was incredible and even when in the background her presence on stage was always noticed.
Heather Duke, played by Merryl Ansah, and Heather Mcnamara, played by Lizzy Parker, fully embodied the cliquey stuck-up attitude and remained always in sync with Firth. “Sorry Heather…”
In a desperate plea to gain popularity Sawyer forges hall passes for the Heathers, the act doesn’t go unnoticed by the Heathers and thus begins the epic high school makeover from geek to chic. “Let’s make her beautiful…” is echoed by all three heathers and Sawyer exits the stage and re enters in blue tartan thus completing the new Heathers.
“Candy Store” greatly captures all three heathers in their element. Firth swings her croquet bat against Wickes warning her not to take her new found popularity for granted “You got a bone to pick? Why now are you pulling on my dick?” The way all three actresses surrounded Wickes created this prey and hunter vibe and suggested the impact of succumbing under pressure.
“Fight For Me” was personally one of my favourite numbers from the musical and signalled the arrival of the darkest character in the musical. Enter Simon Gordon as Jason Dean J,D the ultimate mysterious bad boy. Gordon’s interaction as Dean with Sawyer saw that rush of fatal attraction. "Seeing guys fight is so hot!” Sawyer addresses the audience whilst touching her crouch and laughing. This made the audience instantly laugh at the character's very obvious crush.
The relationship between both Veronica and J.D captured both characters' vulnerability and need for that crucial human connection. A need to be fully accepted in the world. Both Gordon and Wickes were incredible but as a duo they were electric!
The Second Act of the play only gets better and is filled with more twists and turns keeping the audience on its feet.
The musical thoroughly explores the attitudes of mental health, in the musical number “Lifeboat” performed by Lizzy Parker as Heather Mcnamara “I float in a boat in a raging black ocean… the tiniest lifeboat with people I know” This number really explores Parker’s ability to show the deconstruction of her character: from being popular and adored to being lost and just wanting her friends back. Parker’s voice naturally wavered and had a distinctive sadness which made me feel for her..
The Final number “Seventeen” shows all the cast come together after all their trials and tribulations to be accepting of one another. The remaining Heathers embrace Veronica and harmonise beautifully that they wish to return to being normal teenagers.
'Heathers' is a musical that allows you to have an epic return to the 1980s and laugh with the cast in it’s upbeat musical numbers but also allows you to see that deep down in each and every character there's that want and need for acceptance.
The standing ovation was definitely deserved at the end of the final number and I’m so glad this epic musical got what it deserved. Manchester's opening night was truly a magical spectacle to be a part of.
Reviewer - Rhiann Millington
on - 5.10.21
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