Birmingham Alex: Heathers The Musical scratching where 'Gen Z' itches with meaty black comedy
There was not an empty seat in the house for the much anticipated Heathers The Musical at Birmingham's Alexandra theatre on Tuesday night.
Based on the 1980s cult high school movie classic flop starring Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk and Christian Slater, the black comedy script is enjoying something of a resurgence with a re-working of the stage rock musical.
Despite being little known to anyone aged over 20 here, this tale of a cruel but popular group of schoolgirls who rule the roost at the fictitious Westerburg High in Ohio is very much on the radar of teens as a result of social media networks.
And they turned out in droves with some of the audience dressed in similar fashions as the young and super-talented leading cast members Jenna Innes as Veronica, Verity Thompson as Heather Chandler and Jacob Fowler as Jason 'JD' Dean who were in fine voice.
As the plot thickens, it doesn't take long for the storyline and the music to pick up and run with some very meaty themes some watching may find uncomfortable including suicide, crime, mental health, sexuality and bullying.
All were given some fairly well thought out treatment with lines sprinkled with much humour by the production duo Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy. Although being over 30-years-old, judging by the majority age range watching, it the story is clearly scratching where Gen Z - those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s - are itching and theatres are listening to them.
At the final curtain the audience was on its feet to applaud the polished performance and the life lesson that "it might kill to be a nobody, but it’s murder being a somebody".
Heathers The Musical runs at the The Alex off Suffolk Queensway until Saturday(20).
For tickets which start from £22.50 see via website atgtickets.com/Birmingham
*If you need help with mental health issues call the Samaritans free any time on 116 123.
