{"id":169646,"date":"2026-04-11T12:56:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T02:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=169646"},"modified":"2026-04-12T18:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T08:55:52","slug":"heathers-the-musical-at-playhouse-arts-centre-melbourne-musical-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/heathers-the-musical-at-playhouse-arts-centre-melbourne-musical-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Heathers: The Musical at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne – musical theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bullying, teenage angst, toxic relationships and murder hardly seem material conducive to a cult following, but if you think that, you don\u2019t know Heathers. First came the original 1988 film starring Winona Ryder and then the musical that debuted in 2009, hitting off Broadway in 2014 and the West End in 2018. It has developed a loyal and dedicated fan base with good reason because it is a mighty imposing, if decidedly darkly comedic, offering. And this Australian production is an absolute beauty. The characters are well drawn, the performances fabulous and the vibe electrifying. It is something special.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photos by Cameron Grant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The focus is on a group of students in their final year at Westerberg High School. Seemingly decent Veronica Sawyer doesn\u2019t like the social hierarchy that sees people like her and her best friend, heavyset Martha Dunnstock, ostracised. Specifically, they are picked on by the likes of school jocks Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly and ignored by the in-girls, known as the Heathers. The cruel leader of the pack is Heather Chandler. Her acolytes are cheerleader Heather McNamara and bulimic Heather Duke. Veronica\u2019s fate is set to change when her talent for forgery is noticed by Chandler.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A makeover for Veronica follows, as does her elevation to the Heathers\u2019 inner circle. Mind you, Veronica remains repulsed by the Heathers and pushes back when asked by Chandler to forge a love letter that will expose Martha to ridicule. It is then that she meets a mysterious new kid at the school, chilled Jason \u201cJD\u201d Dean, who turns her head by quoting poetry. He can handle himself in a fight and the pair quickly gets hot and heavy, before crossing the line when it comes to right royal bitch Heather Chandler. Veronica\u2019s conscience starts to eat away at her, but JD seems to have a troubling blood lust for vengeance. As more lives are on the line, Veronica comes to realise that Jason Dean is far from the upstanding citizen she at first believed him to be.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O\u2019Keefe, Heathers: The Musical is based on the film written by Daniel Waters. With bullying and bad behaviour remaining a major issue in schools, its relevance has not dissipated. Producers have unearthed new star power in 2024 WAAPA graduate Emma Caporaso, who eats up the stage with her turn as Veronica Sawyer. Her vocalisation is extraordinary \u2013 controlled, melodic and powerful. Her swagger and mannerisms are eloquent, he enthusiasm infectious. She is jaw-droppingly good. A massive future awaits.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Connor Beaumont fits the deranged, too-cool-for-school persona required of JD, with distinction. Beaumont plays effortlessly sensitive and deeply traumatised. He is the shiny red apple with a rotten core. With big vocals, Calista Nelmes has the strut and dismissiveness of Heather Chandler down pat. As events transpire, Amelia Rojas as Heather Duke fills those uppity shoes most impressively too, when called upon to do so. There is an endearing vulnerability about Abigail Sharp as Heather McNamara.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Zoe Gertz is a scene stealer as a teacher and counsellor on a mission, Ms Fleming. Her confidence and conviction come to the fore with audience participation, one of the many highlights of Heathers. Gertz doubles up as Veronica\u2019s mum, who is less than impressed by the Heathers \u2013 Chandler in particular. Mel O\u2019Brien is perceptive, owning the role of the hapless Martha Dunnstock. David Cuny as Ram Sweeney and Nic Van Lits as Kurt Kelly have fun playing best mates, the vacuous jocks. Ellis Dolan and Brodie Masini each have three parts. The standout is their memorable presence as the jocks no nonsense, and later empathetic, dads.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What really shines throughout the show is the strength and depth of the singing voices. That includes the leads and the talented ensemble. Musically, Heathers has several catchy, exceptionally well performed numbers. Musical director Martine Wengrow and the band give it their all. Gary Lloyd\u2019s seamless choreography is most appealing. The transition between scenes is slick. David Shields\u2019 set and costume design are colourful and creative. Crisp lighting and sound design by Ben Cracknell and Dan Samson respectively elevate the overall experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, it is that the cast and crew make light work of a dark subject that serves to add even more weight to Heathers\u2019 cult status. This is rich and redolent production that needs to be seen. Without hesitation, I would go back for a second helping tomorrow. It is that darn great. Heathers: The Musical is on at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne until 9th May, 2026.<\/p>\n

Alex First<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bullying, teenage angst, toxic relationships and murder hardly seem material conducive to a cult following, but if you think that, you don\u2019t know Heathers. First came the original 1988 film starring Winona Ryder and then the musical that debuted in 2009, hitting off Broadway in 2014 and the West End in 2018. It has developed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":169654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[804,801],"tags":[726,21,3,11511,7401],"class_list":["post-169646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-theatre","tag-arts-centre-melbourne","tag-comedy","tag-drama","tag-emma-caporaso","tag-heathers-the-musical"],"yoast_head":"\nHeathers: The Musical at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne - musical theatre review -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/heathers-the-musical-at-playhouse-arts-centre-melbourne-musical-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Heathers: The Musical at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne - musical theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bullying, teenage angst, toxic relationships and murder hardly seem material conducive to a cult following, but if you think that, you don\u2019t know Heathers. 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I had never seen the cult film set in the grossness of 1980's fashion with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"musical\"","block_context":{"text":"musical","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/tag\/musical\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heathers-01","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Heathers-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Heathers-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Heathers-01.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":167622,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/dog-man-the-musical-arts-centre-melbourne-musical-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":169646,"position":2},"title":"Dog Man: The Musical (Arts Centre Melbourne) – musical theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"September 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the fun, funny, fanciful, colourful and action-packed world of Dog Man. This musical is the brainchild of Kevin Del Aguila (book and lyrics) and Brad Alexander (music), with orchestrations by Lloyd Kikoler. The characters are those adapted from the series of books by Dav Pilkey. 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Sometimes, mighty testing, in fact.\u00a0So it is in the new Australian musical Share House, which is simply delightful.\u00a0Former classmates Lucy and Jane are as different as chalk and cheese.\u00a0Now young adults, they have been living together for what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Music"","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/rsz_share_house_the_musical_arts_centre_melbourne_2024_photo_credit_nick_manuell_0h1a9798.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/rsz_share_house_the_musical_arts_centre_melbourne_2024_photo_credit_nick_manuell_0h1a9798.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/rsz_share_house_the_musical_arts_centre_melbourne_2024_photo_credit_nick_manuell_0h1a9798.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/rsz_share_house_the_musical_arts_centre_melbourne_2024_photo_credit_nick_manuell_0h1a9798.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":141946,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/9-to-5-the-musical-arts-centre-melbourne-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":169646,"position":4},"title":"9 to 5: The Musical (Arts Centre Melbourne) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"July 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"9 to 5: The Musical is energetic, sassy and colourful.\u00a0What isn\u2019t lost in this bright and breezy production though is the underlying point of it all.\u00a0To see it played out makes one wince, just as it should. Franklin Hart Jnr (Eddie Perfect) is the misogynistic and pompous CEO of Consolidated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_3y8a9711-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_3y8a9711-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_3y8a9711-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_3y8a9711-1024x682-1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":164961,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/one-man-musical-arts-centre-melbourne-musical-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":169646,"position":5},"title":"One Man Musical (Arts Centre Melbourne) – musical theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"April 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A horrendous sound mix \u2013 it was too loud and distorting \u2013 ruined what could have been one of the best shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. More is the pity, because the star of the piece is clever, highly creative, funny and musically dexetrous, and the fix would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Music"","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rsz_1flo__joan_one_man_musical_credit_avalon.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rsz_1flo__joan_one_man_musical_credit_avalon.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rsz_1flo__joan_one_man_musical_credit_avalon.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rsz_1flo__joan_one_man_musical_credit_avalon.jpg?fit=800%2C521&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}