Bright, chaotic, and relentlessly dark, Heathers: The Musical occupies a fascinating space in modern musical theatre—and you know me, I’ve just got to look at it through a queer lens! On the surface, it is a subversively fun, neon-soaked satire of high school hierarchy, trauma, and teenage angst. It starts off with “what if Mean Girls was set in the 80s” vibe, which quickly descends into a folie a deux story… But beneath the shoulder pads and croquet mallets, lies a rich text about power dynamics, performative identity, and the tragic consequences of forced heteronormativity.
If this is as far as you’re reading – don’t wait. Get yourself a ticket to Heathers the Musical as soon as you can. It’s at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (who kindly provided me a press ticket) right now but it’s on your throughout the UK.) Still with me? Okay, let’s get stuck in to some commentary.
The performance was exceptional and all of the cast absolutely shone with talent, but I also want to talk about the characters and the storylines I love. Technically, this musical is a masterpiece and was given full justice by this cast, band and crew – it’s absolutely unmissable. Usually I’d head straight into the performance breakdown, lighting and theatrical composition discussion but, honestly I think this well-established musical needs a deeper read.
Veronica (Gerardine Sacdalan) – our morally and socially grey anchor every-girl. She hooks us in because we relate to her. Her journey highlights the desperate, lengths teenagers go to assimilate into social safety. Her trajectory highlights a typical teen journey – sacrificing her authentic self to be a Heather and hide behind the protection of privileged conformity. And who wouldn’t want to be a Heather? Liberty Stottor was iconic as Heather Chandler, and with Jessica Ibadin as Heather Duke and Lou Henry as Heather McNamara, the three of them stole the spotlight (figuratively and literally) whenever they came on stage.
The show’s standout subversion occurs in “My Dead Gay Son.” (Performed by John Gurdían and Reuben Browne as Ram & Kurt’s Dads) A masterpiece of a song, honestly. We go from the cynical musings of JD (Louis Hearsey) and Veronica to this extraordinarily camp, show-stopping anthem. It’s the jarring, sudden embrace of homosexuality that gives this song it’s charm, and it serves as a juxtaposition to the rest of the musical. There’s a true burst of cathartic queer joy, amongst the quagmire of performative allyship with “suicidal” teens.
As a fellow fat person, I can’t help but positively call out Martha’s (Sophie Manners) weird little song “Kindergarten Boyfriend” and while Martha’s story is tragic in itself, her full-circle, happy ending is what’s important. Heathers doesn’t require Martha to undergo a “makeover” or change her body to earn redemption or peace. It is Veronica – someone who doesn’t know her identity – who gets swept up in the act of conformity and ultimately rejects the toxic social order to stand beside Martha, reaffirming that collective care and true acceptance of marginalized bodies and oneself is what’s important.
These crucial moments of queerness and body positivity are what makes Heathers one of my favourite musicals – as well as the campness, the cattiness, the iconic costumes, the big, sex-positive hits like “Dead Girl Walking”, the shocking twists and turns… and ultimately, because it understands what it’s like to grow up in a world where high school is a pressure cooker of conformity.
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