Don’t you just love high school movies? High schools are mini ecosystems. They are fully-functional, standalone, model societies. High school is a time full of firsts. First glamorous team sport, first kiss, first guitar pick, first braces, first science experiment, first bulimia, first standardised test, first slut shaming, first driver’s license. Everyone’s best dream and everyone’s worst nightmare. When I walked into the York Theatre on the opening night of “Heathers”, I had no idea the musical I was about to see was based on a very successful, eighties cult film. “Heathers” definitely has a very universal appeal. Who hasn’t had a trying high school experience? The American high school experience, in particular, makes for the most entertaining setting. Kevin Murphy and Lawrence O’Keefe originally wrote this film-to-stage adaptation that ended up being Broadway successful. Vancouver theatre group Gently With A Chainsaw Artist’s Collective have taken a stab at this much loved classic and created an outstanding winner of a show.
“Heathers” tells Veronica Sawyer’s coming-of-age story. The nerdy, earnest protagonist gets tangled up in an ugly web of high school popularity. The mean girls that rule the roost here are three girls, all called Heather. Yeah, cult status right there. The Heathers oblige and agree to take Veronica in. Veronica’s morals and previous loyalties get bludgeoned as she takes on her newfound privileges. Enter JD the angsty John Bendery new guy, complete with an equally angsty trench coat. JD helps Veronica resolve her inner conflicts, in murderously dramatic ways. There are also two brainless, horny jocks. There are nerdy girls. There are stoners. There are weirdos. Every faction of high school society finds representation here. If you lived for the shenanigans of Cher and Dee in “Clueless”, or were secretly fascinated by the Plastics in “Mean Girls”, this production is your spiritual journey. Bonus points if you get high on musicals.
The best thing about this Vancouver production is its dynamic cast. The cast is so refreshingly diverse. David C. Jones, the director, has creatively pushed the boundaries with a colour-blind cast that gives the play a very sophisticated, contemporary feel. What you see in real life around the city is what you see on this stage. The cast also has some formidable vocal chords. Jessie Award winner Christine Quintana plays Veronica. She is an excellent singer and the most adorable thing you have ever seen. She handles the physical comedy well and carries the weight of the moral centre of the play with earnest integrity. In direct opposition to her is the head Heather, played by the mean and very sexy Synthia Yusuf. Yusuf is also a fantastic singer. She gets all the mean jokes- the ones that will have you laughing despite yourself. Her performance is on par with Regina George’s. Kamyar Pazandeh plays the enigmatic JD with the ease of a 1950s movie star. He is handsome and beguiling.
The supporting cast shines. The dances and ensemble songs thrive thanks to the loving cooperation between the actors. The stage very rarely belongs to less than four people at any given time. With all those bodies moving in unison, painting one big picture, the show becomes a very cosy, communal affair. The harmonies are always in tune. The songs are catchy and contain the sauciest of jokes. Nothing is off-limits. Expect All-American Tina Fey kind of humour. There is no sentimentality in this play. Whenever you feel a scene sliding into that direction, a cheeky, off-colour one-liner yanks the play out and back into audacious ridiculousness. This is the production’s biggest strength.
There isn’t a dull moment in the show, from start to finish. The laughs are the out loud kinds. All the jokes deliver. There is plenty of sex in the story. In fact, there is a masterfully performed sex song between Quintana and Pazandeh that is performed with clever finesse. Yusuf and the two pretty, oafy jocks, parade along the stage for a good part of the play, only in underwear. I enjoyed the shamelessness of these characters and the bravery of their actors. Being on display must be exceptionally difficult. Even if you happen to have perfect bodies, which just happens to be the case with this Collective.
“Heathers” showcases puberty in all its raunchy gloriousness. It made me nostalgic for a time when the stakes were minimal and all you had to worry about was whether people liked you, and about being flung around like a ragdoll by the hands of your manic hormones. “Heathers” is a must-see this January. It will shock you and make your sides ache from all the laughing that you are guaranteed to do. This cast is hardworking and brilliant and very, very hot.
“Heathers” plays at York Theatre till the 17th of January. Get your tickets here!
-Prachi Kamble