Review: Dark, funny and damaged - It's easy to see why Heathers has amassed a huge cult following

There were lots of the audience dressed in the appropriate colour as a ‘Heather’ and a lot of the audience knew to scream in the right place – a sort of Rocky-Horror-audience-participation-kind-of-thing.

The second thing I learned is that is easy to see what it has become a modern cult classic. Following two smash hit West End seasons, a record-breaking run at The Other Palace and winning the WhatsOnStage award for Best New Musical, Heathers is dark comedy – no scratch that – a pitch-black comedy rock musical based on the eponymous 1988 film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

Westerberg High’s Veronica Sawyer (played by the brilliant Jenna Innes) is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she joins the beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers and her dreams of popularity may finally come true, mysterious and damaged teen rebel JD (Jacob Fowler) teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody. To say much more about the plot would spoil what happens.

But it’s fair to say I forgot how dark this story is. But the genius of the musical is how they have made it so funny with it’s jet black humour and satirical take on teen angst and issues.

I know I am repeating myself but I feel a responsibility to make people aware who want/are going to see the show, how dark the humour is. You should be prepared to feel uncomfortable laughing at a brilliant visual pill overdose joke and at two high school jocks (perfectly played by Alex Woodward and Morgan Jackson) preparing to sexually assault someone. Horrific subjects dealt with humour and satire in the best possible way.

The humour is just a small part of the genius of the show – the songs are a huge part. There are some real bangers in Heathers from the earworm that is Candy Store, the strangely poignant Freeze Your Brain (about 7 Eleven – yes the shop – and Slurpees) and Never Shut Up Again to the big numbers like Seventeen and – what I can only imagine is Grange Hill-inspired – I Say No. Every song has an emotional pull that keeps you engaged throughout the show.

The performances, as you would expect on a National Tour, are pitch perfect. The aforementioned Innes and Fowler are perfect as the protagonists, Verity Thompson is having a lot of fun as Heather Chandler, and is ably supported by Lizzie Emery as Heather Duke and Billie Bowman as Heather McNamara.

The supporting characters also get their chance to shine. Conor McFarlane and Jay Bryce open the second act with the Gospel-inspired – and very, very funny - My Dead Gay Son and Katie Paine (Ms Fleming) delivers Shine a Light with great humour and agility and Kingsley Morton has her moment with the heart-breaking Kindergarten Boyfriend.

Heathers the Musical is like it’s characters – dark, damaged, nasty, colourful and a whole lot of fun.

The show is on at the Hawth until Saturday,August 5.

The performance on Saturday at 2.30pm is a Singalong show, where audiences are encouraged to join in songs at specific points with printed lyrics provided.

To book to see Heathers the Musical and see what else is on at the Hawth, visit https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth/whats-on/