THEATRE REVIEW: Heathers - The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford.

The 1980s. A time when popularity wasn’t defined by a follower count, but by the fear you were able to instil into fellow classmates you deemed to be lower down the social ladder than you.  A time when DNA profiling was only just taking hold and crimes were easier to cover up – the perfect time for a twisted love story with a body count.

‘Heathers’ follows the story of high school senior Veronica Sawyer (Jessica Innes) as she finds herself thrown into the spotlight of popularity by the clique of mean girls at the top of the Westberg High food chain – all very conveniently named Heather. Desperate to survive her final year of high school Veronica figures that being a doormat for the popular kids is preferable to being a victim of them; however, when mysterious new student JD (Jacob Fowler) shows up and takes a liking to Veronica things start to get a whole lot darker, and a preppy high school bitch-fest soon becomes a murderous free-for-all with a ('ahem') explosive finale.

If there’s one thing to be said for this show, it’s that it does dark comedy perfectly. It places itself perfectly in the centre of raw sexuality, shock factor and laugh-out-loud moments – which it turns out might just be the trifecta, because this production hits every mark. Costume supervisor Johnny Palmer must have had an absolute field day redesigning this cult classic for a modern audience; gone are the bulky jackets, coloured tights and skirts that had the audacity to almost graze the knee – instead replaced by a raunchy replica with a modern twist, with knee high stockings and tiny skirts that any Clueless fan would be proud of. The uniform of the Heathers – recognizable, raunchy, and so exclusive that you even get your own colour.

Despite the show being one of the most visually stunning I’ve seen so far, with a brilliantly realistic movable set design by David Shields and some amazing (if at times slightly retina burning) lighting design by Ben Cracknell, the performances were absolutely something else. This production had a calibre of talent and professionalism the likes of which I haven’t seen before, and I’ve seen a lot. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve been an avid listener of the Broadway cast recording, but the vocal performances on the night exceeded even that. Innes and Fowler had a chemistry that bordered on obsession as Veronica and JD in their toxic and twisted relationship that had you torn between rooting for first love and, you know, hoping the nice young girl doesn’t end up with the psychopath hell bent on murdering all their classmates. Fowler plays the part exceptionally well; charming and funny right from the start, twisting the truth and manipulating his way into gaining Veronica’s trust. His vocals are absolutely stunning; ‘Freeze Your Brain’ is great for a few giggles, the chemistry in the loved-up couple’s duo in ‘Seventeen’ is insurmountable and he absolutely blew me away with his unsettling ‘Meant To Be Yours’. Innes played her part perfectly too; the headstrong smart girl swept up in infatuation and headed down the wrong path. ‘I Say No’ was a beautiful ballad and the range and passion in her voice was astounding.

And then we come to the Heathers themselves. Verity Thompson absolutely stole the show as head honcho Heather Chandler; even after our dangerous duo had bumped her off. I wanted, so badly, to hate her as we watched her bully and coerce her way into staying at the top, but she just did it so well! Her tragic death at the hands of JD and (even if accidentally) Veronica could have been a toss-up between a tragic moment of a teen life lost too soon, or an it’s-about-time for a movie villain – however it ended up being the start of a hilarious character change, which was nothing if not unexpected. Watching her float around the stage as a sort of walking, talking conscience for Veronica was hilarious! Thompson oozed charisma and comedic timing, really hamming up her newfound freedom from the shackles of the social ladder; it’s easy to see why this character is so iconic. The other Heathers were wonderful too – Elise Zavou was the perfect bitchy sidekick as Heather Duke, and Billie Bowman was stunning as the quieter, more subdued Heather McNamara with a heartbreaking rendition of ‘Lifeboat’.

The rest of the cast were remarkable too – overall this is one of the strongest casts I’ve had the pleasure of watching. It’s not often you find a cast with no weak links, and I could sit here and give a special mention to everybody, but it’d be never-ending, and I’d spoil all the fun, so you’d best go and see it for yourself.

There are a few trigger warnings in place for this due to the mature content – lots of sexual references, and the ever-present running themes of murder/suicide, so it’s definitely not for younger viewers. But despite the mature themes they’re handled in a comical fashion, holding up a mirror to teenage angst and the desperate need to fit in. It all seems more than a tad overdramatic the older you get, but it certainly makes for good viewing when you put this kind of spin on it. It’s a cult classic for a reason – grab your red scrunchie and get to the box office before Heathers leaves the Bradford Alhambra on July 22^nd.

Reviewer - Hazel Kaye
on - 18.7.23