Heathers: The Musical - TRH / The Other Palace / @sohoplace

Funny and entertaining, this is exactly what you would hope for from this still-dark-but-less-dark campier adaptation of the well-known much-loved cult film, but undoubtedly Carrie Hope Fletcher is the secret ingredient here, injecting emotion, energy, humour and, above all, agency, into her every stage moment.

Some spoilers follow. . .

I know Carrie Hope Fletcher's name generates gripes from naysayers from all quarters, but she's simply gold dust in this. What's remarkable about her is not her emoting-in-response-to-everything-around-me acting, which is such an improvement to the blankness you sometimes get from MT actors in between their songs and lines (I won't reiterate who it was in Dreamgirls who really bothered me with their scene-to-scene blankness lol). It's not the fact that Hope Fletcher's moment-to-moment actions and reactions feel so impulsively real, energetic, varied, and chock full of agency, which is what you'd demand from a dedicated and talented actor, who merely youtubes-on-the-side. It's not that she can so easily switch from desperately emotive singing (say, in the tender number, Seventeen) to indignant comic-song narration, (in say, Beautiful). What's remarkable about Carrie Hope Fletcher is she's so naturally, impetuously, spontaneously, effervescently funny!

I had seen her do funny before, as Wednesday Addams, and as Truly Scrumptious, but that hadn't prepared me for how effortlessly funny she is in this! Some of the humour is sheer commitment (her sex scene with JD is staggeringly unselfconscious and uproariously impulsive), some of the humour is attitude (she turns from ironic distance to bolshy involvement on a dime), but undoubtedly, mostly, her humour emanates from a precise comic timing that is exceptionally rare. I assume Andy Fickman's directing brought this quality out of her, because that is one funny man, but I'm nonetheless dazzled by how funny Carrie Hope Fletcher can be.

And that's so key in this show, because the masterful juggling of lightness and darkness, in a comedy-that-centres-on-school-killings (ffs!), is everything in ensuring the right tonal balance.

Apart from CHF, Jodie Steele rocks it as the imposing uberbitch, Heather Chandler, which is also key, as unless you fear and hate her character, this show can't work, and boy, Steele plays fearfulness and hatefulness to an off-the-scale degree.

Jamie Muscato cuts a charismatic JD, the eccentric school psychopath, and sings his songs as emotionally and as powerfully as he did in "Big Fish," but lacking Christian Slater's natural slimy oozing malevolence, he really needs to amp up his between-songs-reactions to more fully create anticipation in the audience of the ever-lurking danger deep inside this cool cucumber, something I am confident Muscato will achieve by press night.

Among the wider ensemble, Rebecca Lock was pitch perfect as Ms Fleming, the gormless school counselor who assumes she knows everything, but in fact knows nothing. Like Hope Fletcher, she combines superb singing, wild energy and comic timing effortlessly to create a memorably funny character, although, when sitting on the front row, I was pounced on by her, surrounded by the ensemble, addressed by name (they must have picked me as victim in the first half, and looked up my name in the interval) and systematically tortured. Luckily, I'm too old to give a damn, but I hope they remain good enough at selecting victims, so that some truly delicate first row flower doesn't get too roughly picked lol.

On a side note, Ryan will have trouble deciding whether he prefers his astonishingly toned bare torsos (aka, Dominic Andersen's Ram and Cristopher Chung's Kurt), with or without a tie, as both are equally impressive.

The show is what it is, great fun, a musical comedy about high school murders, a lovely listen and a total hoot, and will only get better by press night. I loved it, like I loved the movie.

4 stars.

I knew I should have waited until after first performances had began before booking my coach ticket home. I was stupid enough to go off the 2 hour running time and book the 10:30 coach home, looks like I'm going to have to book the later train as well cause I don't think I'll make it down to the coach station in 5 minutes.
I'm also wishing I bought another cheap ticket when I found some, judging by all the comments that I've heard so far this is a show I'm going to want to see more than once, at least there's always a chance with the lottery

Returning two 37.50 tickets for the 24th so should be on sale on the website immanently.

I went to the dress rehearsal and first preview and absolutely loved it. Saw the workshop last year and that was my first proper introduction to the show but seeing it all put together was really great. Cast are fantastic, can't fault any of them, and the energy for this show is really something else. Despite seeing it twice and already having tickets booked for the last show I've managed to bag tickets for 2 more visits via spares that friends have or tickets people can't use... Would say it's worth the ticket price despite this being crazy high prices for TOP, if you're apprehensive I'd recommend listening to the cast recording to see how you find the music as the show is mostly songs so you'll get a good feel for it that way!

I really enjoyed this, a good cast with lots of energy. Feels like the natural successor to shows like Carrie and Legally Blonde (in fact a few recognisable nods and melodies to LB and Bat Boy by the same composer). I saw the workshop last year so it was fun to see this fully staged with much of the same cast. I don't know the cast recording well so wasn't sure which of the songs were new. To me, the first act is much more pacy and energetic while the second act feels a little less like the sum of its parts and a bit scrappier in structure, although to be fair they cram in a lot of plot. Performances all round were excellent.

The audience was unlike any I've seen in a theatre (and I usually see something once or twice a week). It was like a Justin Bieber concert (or whoever the equivalent currently is). I thought some girls on the front row were going to pass out at several points. Great to see a theatre packed with young people, although - sorry to be a grump - it did get to the point where the squealing became a bit irritating to the average Joe there to see the show, making us feel like we weren't in on the joke at times. Still, no different to the early days of Wicked, Rent and plenty of others! I wonder what it is about certain shows that attracts such passionate fans?

A plea to the director if they are reading! No need for the apologetic pre-show speech about it being a preview and maybe not perfect. Firstly, it was a good show, secondly, if it's in front of a paying audience you shouldn't be apologising for its quality. Felt like a plea for attention, to be honest.

Secondly, we were pretty close to the front but slightly off centre, yet a couple of moments were totally blocked by the cast standing in a row. The big reveal of the Heathers at the start, which is quite an iconic moment, was only visible to anyone sitting in the centre because the rest of the cast form a solid line on each side of them. A shame.

(Also, I was surprised to see that some of the doubling that was done at the workshop last year was continued - i.e. the adult teachers/parents also playing the school kids - is this normally done? It felt a little bit budget).

Highly recommended, I'm sure a transfer is unlikely but I'm betting this will have a huge, huge life in amateur theatre.

I was also there last night and probably going to join you in the grump corner as while the excitement was fun and infectious to a point it did get a bit excessive and whooping at reaaaaally inappropriate moments was a bit awkward. It was a really fun night and they brought my favourites from the workshop performances back so I really enjoyed it!

Couldn’t agree more. Every time I think she has found a career defining role Carrie just goes on to smash the next one out of the park. However, it was Jenny O’Leary’s number that will stay with me. So moving and beautifully acted. She is a real talent too. I had to shake the directors hand on the way out I was so giddy. This was an absolute wonder and if it doesn’t transfer my faith in humanity will finally be extinguished. There were a few suits and Kenwright in my sons row so hopefully.🤞 Whilst that audience reaction is very much a result of Carries fan base it could certainly do another couple of months in a playhouse sized venue. I really don’t enjoy the M4 in the dark though...

That’s the beauty BB; there ain’t one! (Although given her full page in the program vs everyone elses square they have probably built tunnels for her. Do Liz & Phil not have some she could borrow? 😂

It's a perfect marriage of fanbase, form and content.

Alot of the fans are not long out of school, and this show deals with the stresses of school: Peer pressure, a hierarchy of attractiveness, the hell of not being "popular," in the words of it's thematic sister show, "Wicked."

Carrie Hope Fletcher is like a real life Elphaba, in that she embodies the talent, effort and agency that that constituency aspire to.

And this is her first show where she really speaks to that fanbase's deep fears and concerns.

And this show goes further: it is a camp comedy release from those fears and concerns, in which all concerns are conquered, all revenge fantasies indulged in, every life's worry laughed at, and even death is overcome (by the dead defiantly lingering on as ghosts).

Form and content, meet actress and fanbase!

And since noone ever really grows up, everybody else can enjoy this too, if they just remember.

I felt old watching last night being one of only a handful of over 30s in the audience. Did expect it to be a little more mixed given the age of the film.
That aside I really enjoyed the show.
At first it was jarring just how old the heathers looked, especially compared to some of the other cast, but I decided to go with it in the grand tradition of people old enough to be the parent of the character playing them in teen movies.
Carrie was far less irritating than expected, she throws everything at the part, and mostly pulls it off. Jamie Muscato was excellent when JD was mad but didn’t pull off the sexy cool newcomer at the start, which was a shame as he’s done heartthrob very, very well in the past.
As above the Martha was terrific throughout although had some mike problems at the start which was a shame.

Overall I loved it, good fun show and it would be nice if it had a life here after the run.

I was 2 rows behind you. Well done not dropping your glassses.