Cruel Intentions
Cherry Nettles
Cruel Intentions, The 90s Musical
by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble
Bill Kenwright Ltd at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 1st March, then on tour until 28th June
Review by Thea Diamond
Being someone who hasn’t seen the 1999 cult-classic film that this musical is based on, nor any of the multiple adaptions of the origin story, the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, I was in for a quite surprise and a reminder to take the small print seriously. This jukebox musical came with an age guidance of 15+ and had trigger warnings of “strong language, and mature themes including, but not limited to, explicit sexual language and behaviour, racial discrimination, drug usage, abuse, accidental death, question of consent”.
The main protagonists, hedonistic Sebastian (Will Callan) and Kathryn (Nic Myers), step- siblings residing in a Manhattan luxury mansion, weave a scheme of depravity that would make the likes of Jeffrey Epstein proud, and would for sure cause their school to be featured on the Everyone’s Invited website. This is the substance of both a psychoanalyst’s case study and a safeguarding referral to children’s social services, although it wasn’t particularly obvious in the opening scenes that the characters were all still at high school given the casts’ appearance of being somewhat older.
They wager a bet that Sebastian can seduce the headmaster’s daughter Annette (Abbie Budden), who has publicly published her chastity essay, before the summer is out, whilst also seeking revenge on Kathryn’s ex sex-buddy by also popping the cherry of his new love interest, naive and immature Cecile (Lucy Carter). Along the way, they recruit gay classmate Blaine (Luke Conner Hall) into their scheme of entrapment and blackmail of closeted Jock, Greg (Joe Simmons). Cecile’s cello teacher Ronald (Kevin Yates), is not spared and also becomes collateral damage along the way, and by the end of the evening, the audience have lost count of the collective body count.
Leading actors, Callan and Myers both triumph in their portrayal of the psychopathic pair, and their particularly strong vocals are showcased in 1990’s anthems, especially Act Two’s Torn and Losing my Religion. The absurdity of some of the musical numbers juxtapose the other characters’ playfulness into this twisted tragic tale, including Connor Hall and Simmons who are particularly lucky to be able to camp up an extremely memorable rendition of Spice Girls’ classic Wannabe. Carter’s climactic scene is given a comedic make over by Ace of Base’s The Sign. Polly Sullivan’s set design showcases the opulence of their surroundings, although there could have been more differentiation between the various settings by use of lighting effects, a technique that is highly successful in the Penn Station scene.
No matter how fun and well-chosen the songs are to seamlessly fit the story line, I was left wondering how a 2020’s audience might question the lack of a post #MeToo overhaul. Although everyday racism and homophobia are called out, a whole host of problematic content remains including peer-on-peer sexual grooming, manipulation and coercion, plus borderline sibling incest. Despite there being a glimpse of short-lived redemption for Sebastian, this semi-morality tale doesn’t spare the female lead from being publicly shamed for her behaviour. But her comeuppance is quickly forgotten when the cast perform a medley of 1990’s bangers after the final bows and encourage the audience to dance along and record on mobiles, no doubt for instant upload onto social media, something that we were blissfully unaware of preY2K.
Thea Diamond, February 2025
Photography by Pamela Raith
Mark Aspen 