Theatre Review: Cruel Intentions, Theatre Royal Brighton
Photography by Pamela Raith
Summary:
Rating: ★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 24th June - Saturday 28th June
Where to see it: Theatre Royal Brighton
Duration: 2 hrs (incl. interval)
Keywords: Musical, Comedy, 90’s, New York
Review
Last night I went on a journey. A bubblegum-coloured journey back to the 90s. The witty, fashionable, politically incorrect 90s.
Cruel Intentions: The Musical is the perfect nostalgia hit. Full of 90s anthems, from Britney to Backstreet Boys, from NSYNC to the Goo Goo Dolls, Cruel Intentions is a night of guaranteed fun.
Based on the 1999 movie of the same name, Cruel Intentions is brought to the stage by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble. The story follows Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil, rich step-siblings from the Upper East Side. They enjoy nothing more than messing with other people. They challenge each other to the ultimate bet: Sebastian will seduce Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter who’s made a vow of chastity; Kathryn is set on ruining an innocent girl’s reputation in revenge against her ex boyfriend.
Eventually they will learn what the price for lies and deceits really is…
The cast really took it away last night. Will Callan (Sebastian) and Lucy Carter (Cecile) especially so. Their performance fleshed out the characters in a way that felt authentic and natural. Callan’s singing skills and Carter’s comedy elevated the show and left me asking for more. I’m honestly intrigued to see where they’ll end up next.
Photography by Pamela Raith
Blaine Tuttle (Luke) also deserves a shout-out for his humorous portrayal of the gayest character in the show, if not ever. His over-the-top body language and comedy brought a light-heartedness and hilarity to the story that made everyone fold in half with laughter.
Nic Myers (Kathryn) shows off her singing abilities in the most powerful way possible. She owns the stage with confidence and is not afraid to take up space. I really loved whenever she took centre stage. Her comedic timing was also perfect. However, I have to say that her ‘funny side’ somewhat took something away from her character, since she’s supposed to be catty and malicious.
The stage show is faithful to the original material, since the movie’s director, Roger Kumble, worked on this production as well. I do think that watching the movie beforehand could be helpful, as the plot is at times knotty and complicated. Sebastian and Kathryn don’t make it easy for us to untangle their webs of deceptions!
The musical arrangements and choreographies served the story to the very last details, always surprising us with how perfectly the lyrics lined up with the scenes. The scenic design was simple but effective, and worked in tandem with the lights production to evoke different scenarios, both physical and emotional.
Photography by Pamela Raith
Overall, Cruel Intentions: The Musical is an enjoyable experience, perfect for a night out with friends or to (re)experience the 90s in all their fabulous messiness.
See If: You fancy a fun night out full of nostalgia and timeless hits
Similar Musicals: Clueless, Mean Girls, Heathers
Last Impressions: I truly enjoyed the performance, it was fun and witty and I’d love to see it again already.
You can find last minute tickets for the show on the ATG Website
We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.
Written by Roberta Guarini