Calling all StageSiders, welcome back to another review here at StageSideUK! Last night, a new class enrolled at Westerburg High, so we grabbed our scrunchies, poured ourselves a slushie and got ourselves over to Darlington Hippodrome.

Disclaimer: we were gifted a pair of tickets in exchange for an honest review of the show.

Dark, deliciously funny and still packed with absolute bangers, Heathers remains one of those shows that it just ridiculously easy to have a good time with. This latest class brings plenty of fresh energy to Westerburg and, while opening night might’ve had a few little hiccups, there was a lot to love! The audience were very ready for some Big Fun, and for the most part, the new cast absolutely delivered.

For the uninitiated, Heathers takes the cult 1989 film and gives teenage angst a body count. The very, very questionable life choices of these teens is turned into a darkly comic musical that will stick with you. It’s like a guilty pleasure. A story about murder, suicide, and abusive relationships really shouldn’t be this much fun, but that clash between the serious subject matter and the infectiously catchy score is exactly what makes it amazing! And this production didn’t disappoint.

Let’s start with our new cast!

Garardine Sacdalan gave us a really likeable Veronica with the vocals to match. She was stunning, vulnerable and powerful. However, I did find one bone to pick… there was a repeated head movement, almost an exaggerated gulp of distress, increasingly distracting and once I noticed the acting choice, I couldn’t unnotice it. At times it tipped the performance into feeling a little overacted.

Now when it comes to Louis Hearsey’s JD, I need to make a BOLD statement. It was very! Genuinely. Potentially one of the best JDs I’ve seen, in fact. He was the perfect balance of charming and unhinged, and just absolutely killed it…metaphorically speaking.

And while I’m handing out flowers, this production also gave one of the best Kurt and Rams I’ve seen! Their chemistry was brilliant and the comic timing between the two was effortless. Everytime they appeared, I knew we were in safe, albeit incredibly dumb, hands.

The Heathers carried the stuck-up, arrogant image of perfection only a Heather could pull off. I am forever in awe of the grace and power behind the Heathers’ choreography, and these girlies hit every hip thrust and wave of a croquet mallet with sheer sexy strength. One niggle for me was that I didn’t feel that Jessica Ibadin’s Heather Duke was quite fully realised. Hers is one of my favourite little arcs within Heathers. She spends the beginning of the show being silenced and diminished by Heather Chandler, so when she finally decides she is never going to shut up again, I want ANGER. I want to feel the years of suppressed emotion that has been bubbling underneath. The foundations were absolutely there, but I wanted post-Chandler Duke to burst almost maniacally. That contrast is what makes her transformation so satisfying. I am being picky here, StageSiders! These girls have stepped into some big shoes!

Away from the performances, Heathers still looks every inch the larger-tan-life Westerburg we know and love. The bold, colourful design works brilliantly against the much darker places the story eventually goes, while the lighting really comes alive during the bigger musical numbers. Gary Lloyd’s choreography is just so powerful, it keeps things moving at a cracking pace without making the stage feel overcrowded, and the band and sound design give that ridiculously catchy score the punch it deserves.

One of the more noticeable things for me was the pacing of some of the dialogue. Heathers is packed with punchlines that should hit like a croquet ball to the head, but occasionally we were were onto the next line before some of the big hitters had been given enough space to land. Trust the material, give the audience a beat and let the joke do the murdering. But again, these are small niggles from someone who knows this show perhaps too well, it’s certainly nothing worth calling the Corn Nuts police over.

So, did this new class make the grade? Absolutely. There are a few things I’d like to see settle as the tour continues, but this a slick, ridiculously fun production that kills. So, step into the Candy Store and head over to the Darlington Hippodrome!

Accessibility

This shows is recommended for 14+ as it is full of strong language and mature themes including murder, suicide, sexual violence and references to eating disorders. The production also contains haze, gunshots, loud noises, flashing lights and strobe lighting, so if you are someone more sensitive to that kind of thing, I’d maybe err on the side of caution with this one.

Value for Money

The tickets ranged from £15 to £47, and I feel that, even at the top price bracket this show was worth it. It’s one that stays with you.

Have Your Say

Have you seen Heathers at Darlington Hippodrome? What did you think of the show? Let me know in the comments and lets get a discussion going.

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