Little Lark of London

“Everybody loves me and I intend to keep it that way”

Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble and directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, takes the cult classic film from 1999 (also created by Kumble) and makes it into a musical that celebrates not only the work it is based on but the 90s as a whole.The story is a retelling of Les Liaisons dangereuses, an 18th-century French novel by Pierre Chodoerlos de Laclos. In this modern adaptation, Kathyn Merteuil (Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky) and Sebastian Valmont (Craig Watson), teenage step siblings who rule over the students of Manchester Prep with cruelty and games.

The show as a whole is very overdramatic and cheesy, as one might expect from a 1990s jukebox musical. Where else are you going to get “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC as a dramatic breakup song, “The Sign” by Ace of Base representing the joys of sex or “No Scrubs” by TLC sung by a middle-aged white woman (Jess Buckby as Mrs. Bunny Caldwell) as a reflection on racism? A highlight for me is “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls sung by Blaine (Josh Barnett) and Greg (Barney Wilkinson), in a sweet yet sexual moment of romance. There are also some more awkward moments brought on by the language of the 1990s, including quite a few homophobic remarks and some jarring insults. 

McCaulsky absolutely leads the show as Kathryn, showing off not only her fantastic voice but her wonderful acting skills, especially when in scenes with Watson as Sebastian, creating a tension and incestuous chemistry that you surprisingly end up rooting for. Abbie Budden makes for a lovely Annette Hargrove, a chaste young woman who is the victim of a dare between the step-siblings. The partnership between Cecile Caldwell (Rose Galbraith) and Ronald Clifford (Nickcolia King-N’Da) makes for some of the genuinely sweet moments in the show, a breath of fresh air from the toxicity of the step-siblings and their games.

The set, designed by Polly Sullivan, is cold and gleaming, a fantastic reflection of Kathryn and her ice-cold personality. I particularly loved the use of the turntable, which allows the show to focus on a range of characters in one scene – a highlight being during the song “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer, sung by three different pairs out on dates at the same time. Lighting Designer Nick Richings also does a great job of adding to the atmosphere of the jukebox musical with club-like lighting and bright bursts of colour during the more “poppy” moments.

Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to understand the lyrics of the songs over the loud instrumentals (though the band with Musical Director Denise Crowley does a fantastic job!), which causes the songs to lose some of their impact, particularly in more emotional moments. There are also some awkward moments in the choreography by Gary Lloyd where it feels like too much is going on at once and one wishes that the dialogue and music could speak for themselves. The ensemble – Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Charlotte O’Rourke and Verity Thompson – are all great performers individually, but as a group they tend to be a bit out of sync from one another, each hitting poses at different times or being a few beats off from the performer next to them.

Ultimately, Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical is an enjoyable musical, particularly for fans of the movie and those with a love for music from the 90s. Even if you’re not a fan of either, however, you’ll still have a good time as the cast all give spectacular performances, bringing justice to the cult classic adaptation.

Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical runs until 19 May at The Other Palace. Tickets can be purchased here.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith