★★★★★

“The performances are rich and joyous. It’s hard to take a part that’s so familiar and make it your own, but this cast does it.”

In case you’ve been living under a rock, this show is a Covid delayed U.K. premiere of the smash hit US musical, based on the hugely successful film of the same name.

The plot sticks closely to the film. Cady Heron (Charlie Burn) is a new kid at an American high school, having been home schooled in Kenya up until now. She must choose between authentic outsiders, Janis (Baylie Carson) and Damian (Tom Xander), or the poisoned chalice of popularity that comes with being one of ‘The Plastics’. The romance plot is more central than in the film, with Cady’s main motivation being her infatuation with fellow calculus student Aaron (Daniel Bravo).

Mean Girls marks another in a current trend of film to stage adaptations, which seem to be driven, at least in part, by the temptation of an existing fan base. Certainly, as I join a small army of pink clad women (it’s a Wednesday, so we’re all wearing pink) marching towards the theatre, this plan seems to have paid off.

There’s a worry it will feel like a soulless shell of the film. But it doesn’t. The book, written by Tina Fey, who wrote and acted in the film, is smart and witty. It’s updated, with fresh and current jokes (references to Ozempic and Get Ready with Me videos) but keeps the fan favourite one-liners from the film. With clever lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music written by Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond, the show delves further into these characters who are beloved by the fan base.

The performances are rich and joyous. It’s hard to take a part that’s so familiar and make it your own, but this cast does it. Each character has a different musical style which allows the actors to stand out, each thriving in their niche.

Tom Xander as Damian is wondrously campy and fun. Every moment with him is a scene stealer. At one point he steals a mobility scooter, which results in some glorious physical comedy. Baylie Carson smashes it as Janis, standing in for Elena Skye for this performance. It’s a tricky part and they own it, giving Janis her own flair amongst bigger more flamboyant characters. Georgina Castle as the iconic Regina George is fabulously evil, Disney villain meets Instagram influencer. She has a captivating stage presence. Grace Mouat as Karen has fabulous comic timing, and her physical comedy is on point. Also, Zoë Rainey as all three of the ‘grown up’ women dazzles in her multi rolling, turning each caricature up to the max.

Scott Pask’s set design combined with Finn Ross and Adam Young’s video design is as much a nod to the film as the plot. Settings are projected onto huge screens, calling into question that line between film and theatre. Sometimes it’s backdrops, sometimes photos of the cast, of the Burn Book, and sometimes (like in a brilliant evocation of a photocopier) it’s a theatrical wonder. It doesn’t do it for me, but it does feel fresh.

Under this show’s joyous silliness, there’s an important message about female solidarity. It would be interesting to know how it plays for people who don’t know the film. But for fans, and there are many, it’s a delicious night of fetch-y fun.

TREASON THE MUSICAL at Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★

“The show is visually stunning, Jason Taylor’s lighting taking centre stage in the vast auditorium while Philip Witcomb’s looming, slatted set opens and closes to successively release and confine the protagonists”

Just as the fireworks are beginning to die down across London, the new musical “Treason” blasts into town on a wave of publicity that casts its fire glow across the rooftops of N22. The light is thrown on a handful of the conspirators who planned to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5th November 1505. It is a day that everybody “remember remembers” even if the detail is buried in the archives. “Treason the Musical” presents us with some of the background which, like the real events, gets a bit lost behind the celebration of the occasion.

We all know Guido ‘Guy’ Fawkes who was hanged for his part in the failed gunpowder plot (no – he wasn’t burned on a bonfire), but – be honest now – who can name the others? It was, perhaps, Robert Catesby (impressively played here by Connor Jones) who masterminded the scheme, spurred on after King James the First backtracked on his promise of greater religious tolerance towards the English Catholics. A reluctant recruit was Thomas Percy, and it is the relationship between Thomas and his wife Martha that dominates much of the story. Guy Fawkes is given the role of narrator, distancing himself from the action while filling us in with the details. It is a neat device, successfully pulled off by the writers Charli Eglinton and Kieran Lynn; but the credit surely goes to Gabriel Akamo who commands the space as Guy Fawkes. With booming voice and charisma, he laments his fame, decrying his status as scapegoat, all the while commenting and directing. It is Akamo who opens and closes the show, instructing us to “remember me”. We would like to see more of his presence in between and sometimes long for him to step down into the throng.

Leading the ensemble are Sam Ferriday and Nicole Raquel Dennis as the newlyweds Thomas and Martha Percy. Ferriday and Dennis form a dynamic duo. No sooner are they married than are wrenched apart as Thomas goes off to “fix things” for the Catholic cause. Jones’ formidable Catesby has recruited him into the gang, along with Robin and Timothy Wintour (Alfie Richards and Lewis Edgar) and Jack Wright (Kyle Cox). All are exceptional singers, with breath-taking harmonic skill in the rousing ensemble numbers, and a controlled, emotive power in their solo numbers and duos. Of which there are plenty. Ferriday and Dennis again shine when they come together in song. Another one to watch for is Emilie Louise Israel – as the peripheral, though striking character, Anne Vaux – whose voice and personality cuts through the chorus to grab our attention.

“This show lights the blue touch paper but again the real explosion eludes us”

On the other side of the fence is Joe McFadden’s King James. Arrogant but a bit dim, McFadden initially plays him for laughs. He is not the villain, as his descent into paranoia manifests itself in the second act, but manipulated by Oscar Conlon-Morrey’s more reprehensible, yet comedic, Robert Cecil who historically uncovered the gunpowder plot (though in this production it is somewhat unclear how or when the whistle was blown and by whom). All the principal players are buoyed by the ensemble, giving justice to Ricky Allan’s anthemic score.

The show is visually stunning, Jason Taylor’s lighting taking centre stage in the vast auditorium while Philip Witcomb’s looming, slatted set opens and closes to successively release and confine the protagonists. There is often an ecclesiastical feel, which does pour over into the narrative, resulting in the show feeling a bit like a sermon in places. The emotions run high, but we often feel it comes from the pulpit rather than from the heart. The overall austere approach is a touch at odds with the attempted quirkiness, and at times the echoes of ‘Les Misérables’ clash with those of ‘Hamilton’.

In 1605 the gunpowder plot failed in its mission. This show lights the blue touch paper but again the real explosion eludes us. There are definite sparks, though, within the plot and between the characters that reach us and make us fizzle momentarily. They say not to return to a firework that doesn’t go off. “Treason the Musical” invites us to ignore that safety rule and we are tempted to give it another go to see if it can find its true light.

MEAN GIRLS at the Savoy Theatre

★★★★★

“The performances are rich and joyous. It’s hard to take a part that’s so familiar and make it your own, but this cast does it.”

MEAN GIRLS at the Savoy Theatre

Reviewed on 10th July 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

Last month’s top shows:

MEAN GIRLS

MEAN GIRLS

TREASON THE MUSICAL at Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★

“The show is visually stunning, Jason Taylor’s lighting taking centre stage in the vast auditorium while Philip Witcomb’s looming, slatted set opens and closes to successively release and confine the protagonists”

“This show lights the blue touch paper but again the real explosion eludes us”

TREASON THE MUSICAL at Alexandra Palace Theatre

Reviewed on 9th November 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Treason the Musical

Treason the Musical