Heathers The Musical

Dear Diary. Westerberg High has rolled into Peterborough's New Theatre this week as the hugely successful UK and Ireland tour of Heathers the Musical continues its journey across the country. Based on the iconic 1989 cult film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, the show has become a phenomenon in its own right, mixing a wickedly funny script with one of the most infectious scores in modern musical theatre. It is not hard to see why audiences keep coming back.

At its heart, Heathers follows Veronica Sawyer, a high school nobody dreaming of a better day at Westerberg High, who finds herself unexpectedly swept up with the three most popular girls in school whilst pursuing a relationship with the mysterious new kid in town. Taking on the role of Veronica Sawyer last night was Ellouise Delooze, stepping in as understudy and doing so with a confidence and conviction that felt completely at home in the role. Her vocals were phenomenal throughout, hitting every emotional beat the role demands with real power and precision. Her captivating facial expressions elevated the performance to another level entirely, capturing every shade of Veronica’s journey from the goofy wide-eyed optimism of the opening scenes to the twists and turns that follow. It was one of the best performances I have seen on stage in some time.

Her counterpart in this toxic romance is Louis Hearsey's J.D., a magnetic and genuinely uncomfortable to watch performance in the best possible sense. Hearsey captures J.D.'s journey from rebellious heartthrob to something altogether darker with a chilling ease, never losing the charm that makes the character so dangerously compelling even as the performance grows increasingly unsettling.

Completing the central dynamic are the show's namesakes. The Heathers are led by Liberty Stottor as Heather Chandler, a mythic bitch played by a mythic talent. Stottor commands the stage with a ruthless edge that never loses its sense of fun, backed up by a vocal performance which was nothing short of sensational. Her rendition of ‘Candy Store’ was spectacular, hitting the iconic run at the end of the song in a breathtaking manner. Alongside Chandler is Jessica Ibadin’s Heather Duke, whose ‘Never Shut Up Again’ was delivered with a ferocious energy that grabbed the room's full attention, and Lou Henry’s Heather McNamara, whose performance of ‘Lifeboat’ was one of the night’s most moving moments.

When an entire cast is performing at this level it becomes almost impossible not to mention everyone, as every single performer on that stage gave everything they had whilst looking like they were having the time of their lives doing so. Markus Södergren and Beau Jackson are an absolute joy as the goofy jock duo of Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney, their comedic chemistry generating some of the biggest laughs of the night. John Gurdían and Reuben Browne both take on multiple roles throughout but particularly shine as the two jocks' fathers, going on a journey from bigoted to gloriously accepting in the most fabulous manner imaginable. Veronica Carabai deserves a special mention too, particularly for her embodiment of Ms. Fleming, a performance that wrings every ounce of comedy from the role with brilliant timing.