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Heathers the Musical at Palace Theatre, Manchester – a ‘killer’ performance from Westerburg High

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Clementine Hall - 9th August 2023

The musical revamp of the cult classic teen comedy Heathers is wowing sold-out audiences at the Palace Theatre.

We’ve all seen the classic 1988 high school flick where Winona Ryder leads a world where cliques rule and jocks dominate, with all the ‘popular’ girls being called Heather.

And of course, the musical adaptation that rose to fame in 2018 does not disappoint.

A delightful combination of crunchy, bright, catchy songs alongside a morbid, melancholy plot line – the musical is nothing short of mesmerising.

Following two smash hit West End seasons and a record-breaking run at The Other Palace, Heathers the Musical is in the midst of a national tour and luckily for us, they’ll be in Manchester until Saturday 12 August.

Following the journey of protagonist and teenage misfit Veronica Sawyer, the musical perfectly depicts high school life and all its challenges.

The talented ensemble include all the stereotypes, the ‘stoner’, the ‘nerd’, the ‘theatre geek’ and of course the macho jocks clad in baseball jackets and six packs.

From the offset you are catapulted into high school life, with lockers lining the stage walls and students dancing joyously with cafeteria trays above their heads.

We are introduced to ‘The Heathers’, three leaders of the pack all dressed in primary colours and knee high socks with the school wrapped around their manicured fingers.

Heather Chandler, played by Verity Thompson, was an absolute power house, with vocals that shone to the upper tier of the auditorium leaving audience members stunned and applauding merrily.

We follow Veronica as she becomes a Heather herself, sporting an electric blue blazer and fake smile to try fit in with the ‘cool kids’.

She meets JD, a morbid troubled teen who leads her down a garden path to revenge, rebellion and inevitably murder.

Both Veronica and JD, played by Jenna Innes and Jacob Fowler, produced stand-out performances which had audience members chatting of their brilliance in the foyer throughout the interval.

We intently followed their love story, and accepted it with all its quirks, as they eliminated class mates who have wronged them one by one.

But although the plot line had moments of morbidity, the overall feeling was one of charm, pride and elation.

Heathers the Musical shrieks with joy throughout, and is an absolute explosion of a theatrical experience which will leave you wanting more and more.

Heathers the Musical is playing at The Palace Theatre until Saturday 12 August and you can get your tickets here, which we absolutely urge you to do so.

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Featured image – Supplied