“Heathers: The Musical”, masterfully adapted for the stage by Kevin Murphy from the 1988 black comedy film “Heathers”, has been wildly successful. The musical’s multiple West End runs, two UK tours and professionally shot cinema release have given the show fame within the theatre community. For those less inclined to musicals, TikTok has spread word of “Heathers” — a combination of songs from the musical trending constantly (and the infamous Riverdale lines from the shows “Heathers” episode) mean that most teens have heard of it, even if they’ve never seen a musical in their life. This popularity meant that the shows in Wimbledon, the final stop of the 2023 UK tour, were packed with people ready to mouth along to every song in the spectacular show.
Before the Saturday Matinee on the 28th of October, the route from Wimbledon station to the theatre was packed with ‘Heathers’ fans, many of whom were dressed as the titular Heathers Chandler, Duke and McNamara. It was clear right from the start of the show that this would be an entertaining experience — the audience cheered and clapped at every character entrance and iconic line, and, although the performance wasn’t sold out, the energy of both the cast and the audience filled the theatre.
This energy was maintained throughout the show by the catchy songs, dry humour and, of course, the cast’s extraordinary performance. The music and the story intertwined perfectly. The humour throughout the performance had the whole audience laughing, and every actor has perfect comedic delivery, Despite the musical being a dark comedy, however, “Heathers” doesn’t shy away from the inevitably emotional parts of a show about teen violence and suicide, and the darker songs such as ‘Lifeboat’ and ‘Meant to be Yours’ are some of the highlights of the soundtrack.
The Wimbledon shows of “Heathers: The Musical” were an astounding end to the UK tour, and the audience did not fail to notice the benefits of their location. Theatregoer Kate Turner said “It was great to see the musical at Wimbledon, somewhere easy for me to get to, and seeing such a famous musical in my local theatre was a fantastic experience.”
