Heathers The Musical, School Trip Review

Monday 04 November 2024 | By Erin McKeown

In October, myself and Mrs Mackenzie risked dealing with the highly complex emotional needs of thirteen (unlucky for some!) teenagers as we attended a fantastic performance of Heathers, The Musical at Stockton Globe.  This musical is based on teenage angst viewed through the eyes of Veronica, who doesn’t quite fit in with the cool kids at Westerburg High, but really wants to, and who experiences joy, love and pain at the whim of her brooding boyfriend, JD.

What starts off as a cutesy romance over a slushy in the corner shop quickly turns into serial killing and before you know it, Veronica is in extremely hot water.  She gets made over by the Heathers clique – three girls all with the same first name (think Mean Girls with an edge) and starts to be accepted by everyone else, but at what cost?  Soon, Veronica has ditched her only true friend, Martha, and she and JD have poisoned the ring leader, before shooting two high school jocks.  Veronica knows that JD is spiralling out of control and manipulating her, but can she stop him and break free from the killing spree before it’s too late?

Throughout the show, the main characters and all of the supporting cast held our attention with fantastic choreography, powerful vocals and great characterisation.  Our seats were excellent, towards the front of the stalls, so we had a great view of all of the action and could see every facial expression and mood as the story progressed.  The live band, many of whom were multi-instrumentalists, squeezed into the pit below surrounded by their many  instruments.  They were exceptional, showcasing both skill and sensitivity whilst supporting the fabulous singing.  We noticed how different vocal techniques and instrumentation were used at various points to highlight and increase the sense of drama, which is a typical and considerable strength of the musical theatre genre.  Harmonies were belted out with wonderful clarity of sound and both solo and ensemble numbers were delivered sensitively, bringing many to tears at various points in the narrative.

Whilst many of the show’s themes are mature in nature and deal with many difficult issues facing young people today, such as body image, homophobia and bullying, there are very strong positive messages, too: it’s okay to ask for help; everyone feels inferior sometimes; true friendship and loyalty are important.  There’s a lot to be said for just being a normal teenager!

We all thoroughly enjoyed the performance, bought the merchandise and came out raving about the show’s many highlights.  For our Music and Drama students, they now have another brilliant live experience to draw upon when preparing for their GCSE coursework and examinations.

Our  next Music trip, to Middlesbrough Town Hall to see the Hungarian Radio Orchestra and the fabulous pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason perform Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto is sure to be a highlight of the term – look out for more details on this opportunity for our musicians soon.

Mrs Shevels