When the hit off-Broadway Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Palais du Variété, the cast had only a chaise longue to call a set. Now that it’s transferred to London, in an expanded version, the new cast have a bit more to work with, though fans will be pleased to know the chaise has survived any cuts.
It’s of course based on Based on the Roger Kumble movie that starred Ryan Phillipe and Sarah Michelle Geller, the latter provides a voice over introduction to this musical incarnation. Because Kumble has been directly involved in the development of the show, along with Jordan Ross and Lindsey Rosin, the plot is instantly recognisable as that dark tale of self-obsessed teenagers, who in an attempt to destroy the lives of everyone around them, end up destroying their own lives instead.
Central to the story is the impossibly handsome Sebastian Valmont, and his step sister Kathryn Merteuil. Their relationship veers from pure hatred to barely contained sexual tension, but they still manage to work together to enact a myriad of complex schemes, each like the piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle, that when complete will cement their status at the prestigious school they attend.
Cecile Caldwell’s (Rose Galbraith) sexual awakening is just one step, the seduction of headmasters daughter Annette Hargrove (Abbie Budden) another. Characters such as Blaine, Greg and Ronald are merely cannon fodder for this seductive pair, though this extended version allows us to see more of these characters; Josh Barnett and Barney Wilkinson have a wonderful chemistry as Blaine and Greg, while some of the best moments of the show come from Nickcolia King-N’Da’s Ronald.
While the storyline sticks to the original, the musical takes the film’s tongue in cheek view of itself a whole lot further. It calls itself ‘the 90’s musical’ for a reason; it’s absolutely packed with a cavalcade of certified bops. Most juke-box musicals will attempt to seamlessly integrate the pop song to the story, not Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical, which delights in shoehorning any song with even the most tenuous link into the dialogue. It’s hilarious, and the audience loves it.
Jonathan O’Boyle’s production lets the audience in on the joke, it’s supposed to be a pastiche of the juke-box musical and it works wonderfully well. There’s an eclectic mix of songs too, from The Verve to the Spice Girls and an audience favourite in TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, you can’t help but smile and be swept up in how wonderfully ludicrous it all is.
The cast is led by Daniel Bravo as Sebastian and Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky as Kathryn. Both portray the seductively evil characters with the kind of enticing malice that has the audience falling for their charms. Both have strong vocals, but McCaulsky has us enraptured, especially in Kathryn’s final mega-mix.
Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical is everything you could want from a fun night out, fans of the film won’t be disappointed and lovers of nineties pop music will have a blast. Everyone else can just enjoy this zany musical that doesn’t take itself too seriously and at the same time manages to be sexy, brash, and downright hilarious.
