Twenty years after the original picture, new school starter Cady Heron comes to the West End stage with a high-shine musical adaptation of
A joyful throwback to a simpler time
The musical we didn’t know we needed, Mean Girls is a joyful throwback to a simpler time, when a burn book was the ultimate evil and wearing a spinal brace at prom was the worst thing that could ever happen to you.
A mainstream sensation of the early 00’s, Mean Girls the movie brought teenage girls, boys and grown adults together to laugh and cringe at the laws of the jungle that is American high school.
Since 2004, many things have changed but the fluffy, pink themes of Mean Girls remain relevant and the jokes still land too. The world, if anything, has gotten quite a bit meaner, making us nostalgic for the lighthearted reprieve of hot girl bullies straight out of early noughties cinema, with the bonus of music.
Enter, Mean Girls the Musical.
The talent of Tina Fey is all over this one, backed by the songwriting skill of Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and the trusty directorship of Tony award-winning Casey Nichoslaw (Book of Mormon). Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond also produces a complimentary musical score, while Scott Pask’s innovative set design brings the whole thing to life.
Though it sticks closely to the original plot, only the very best jokes from the movie make it into the show, leaving room for inspired lyrics and fresh one-liners. This musical reimagining sees ‘The Plastics’ as intimidating and as scantily clad as they were twenty years ago, but with a touch more self-awareness.
With 18 original songs in the show, lyricist Nell Benjamin deserves extra applause. Expect surprising bangers such as Apex Predator and Sexy, alongside the rather less compelling Whose House is This and More is Better, which carry through thanks to the ensemble’s high-energy choreography.
Lighthearted but not empty, Mean Girls is all about female friendship and growing up. Clever Tina Fey is pro-woman and it shows, satirising the unique pains of being a teenage girl, while also pointing fun at the worst girlhood traits; vanity, bitchiness and people-pleasing among them.
The songs reflect this, allowing Janis (played by Elena Skye) to lead in several numbers, while Gretchen Wieners (played by Elèna Gyasi) gives a surprisingly poignant turn in What’s Wrong With Me.
Other notable performances come from the sequin-covered and conceited Regina George (played beautifully by Georgina Castle) and ‘too gay to function’ Damian Hubbard (played by the vocally talented and hilarious Tom Xander).
Avid fans of the original Mean Girls will find it hard to fault this live production and all others can revel in its joyful energy, glitzy costume changes and the spirited all-cast dance numbers.
