The ‘Mean Girls’ musical West End production, currently playing at the Savoy Theatre, is pretty ‘fetch!’
Originally adapted for the Broadway stage in 2017, this musical reimagination of the 2004 cult classic film has finally been transferred to the West End.
The musical’s narrative is almost identical to the original movie’s plot.
It follows the main character, Cady Heron, a previously homeschooled teenager who moves from Kenya to North Shore High School in Illinois.
She is faced with stereotypical high school cliques as she befriends the infamous “Plastics” in an attempt to destroy the life of head “Plastic”, Regina George, but instead gets caught up in the fabulous life of high school popularity.
Writer, Tina Fey, adapts her own hilarious movie script for the stage in a witty way, making a few subtle changes from the Broadway version.
The story is made current with fresh jokes about social media, ‘nepo’ babies and Ozempic, appealing to the new age of fans and evoking hearty chuckles from everyone (including me)
Charlie Burn (who plays Cady Heron) delivers an outstanding performance; her take on Cady coupled with her impressive voice makes for an adorable, unforgettable main character.
However, I feel she lacks the impeccable comedic timing that both film star Lindsey Lohan and original Broadway Cast lead Erika Henningsen displayed in their performances, which is a shame.
Georgina Castle as the ‘ice queen’ Regina George presents the leader of the clique as a devilish, sultry character who oozes nonchalance yet successfully utilises her rarer funny lines to make the audience laugh.
Her strong belt and incredible riffs had me in awe!
In fact, her performance of the show-stopping ‘World Burn’ left the whole theatre speechless, wondering if we should clap or just sit in stunned silence.
But the show stealers for me were Grace Mouat, who plays dim-witted yet charming Karen Smith and Tom Xander, who plays ‘too gay to function’ Damien Hubbard.
Both Mouat’s and Xander’s performances left me in stitches and provided individual takes on each character that still retained the charming essence of the original movie.
In terms of design, the pink proscenium arch stage along with Scott Pask, Finn Ross and Adam Young’s efficient and eye-catching set and video design serve a delightful visual display that can seamlessly transition from different scenes in the blink of an eye.
And Katrina Lindsay’s costumes had me feeling pure fashion envy throughout the show!
The changes from the broadway production are not that drastic; a couple songs have been cut, such as "Stop," and "Cautionary Tale (Reprise)," and a few new ones added like “Blowing Up” and the “Stupid With Love (Reprise).”
I was a tad disappointed with the decision to cut the previous Act 1 finale ‘Fearless’ as I felt it was one of the few expertly written songs in the show.
Most are quite forgettable and the lyrics come across as quite cringe, in my opinion.
This does take away from the more impressive songs, namely ‘World Burn’, ‘Sexy’ and ‘Stupid With Love’ as well as diluting the delightfully hilarious book.
But, ultimately, ‘Mean Girls’ the Musical is an entertaining watch (coming from a certified ‘Theatre Kid’) which you should definitely catch before it closes in February 2025!
