Heathers the Musical has taken over the Roslyn Packer Theatre, bringing with it a legion of die-hard fans who clearly know every moment of the show. At times, the audience was clapping before their favourite scenes had even happened.
Based on the 1989 cult film, Heathers follows Veronica Sawyer, a teenager trying to survive the social hierarchy of Westerberg High. She finds herself welcomed into the school’s most powerful clique, the Heathers, before meeting mysterious new student Jason ‘J.D.’ Dean. What begins as teenage rebellion quickly spirals into murder, manipulation and complete chaos.
There is no denying that Heathers is problematic. While the show is set in the 1980s and its language reflects that period, some of it now feels incredibly dated and, at times, unnecessarily derogatory. The show certainly shouldn’t lose its darkness or become politically correct for its own sake, but I did find myself wondering whether a rewrite could stay true to the storyline while removing language that really doesn’t need to be there.
That aside, this is an incredibly strong production.
Andy Fickman’s direction keeps the show moving at a great pace and embraces both the ridiculous comedy and much darker elements of the story. Gary Lloyd’s choreography is fun, energetic and suitably teenagerish, while David Shields’ design is incredibly effective, transforming the stage between scenes with ease. The costumes capture the iconic looks of these characters perfectly.
The band was on point throughout under the musical direction of Martine Wengrow, giving the cast a fantastic foundation for what is a deceptively demanding score.
This is also a very strong ensemble cast who bring the energy of Westerberg High to every scene.
Zoe Gertz as Ms Fleming is hilarious, particularly during her interactions with the audience, while Mel O’Brien brings plenty of heart to Martha Dunnstock. Nic Van Lits as Kurt Kelly and David Cuny as Ram Sweeney are the perfect ripped idiot footballers and provide some of the biggest laughs of the night.
Conor Beaumont brings an appropriately creepy, almost serial-killer vibe to Jason ‘J.D.’ Dean, while the three Heathers are exactly the bitches you want them to be. Calista Nelmes commands the stage as Heather Chandler, and it is almost a shame she gets killed off so early.
But the night belongs to Emma Caporaso as Veronica Sawyer.
Caporaso is an absolute powerhouse. Her killer voice tackles the score with ease, and her acting is equally impressive. She completely owns the stage whenever she appears and delivers a performance that makes it very easy to believe we are watching the beginning of a stellar career. My plus-one had seen Heathers on the West End and commented that Caporaso could have out-sung everyone in that production.
For all the issues I have with the material itself, it is hard to fault the production on stage at the Roslyn Packer Theatre. It is slick, energetic, funny and performed by an incredibly talented cast.
The standing ovation was thoroughly deserved.
If you can get past the storyline, this is one killer production.
– The other Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig is an international performer and has established himself as a trusted theatre specialist on the Sydney Arts Scene. While he understands the technical side of theatre, Dan writes for the everyday theatregoer (unlike some of those more prominent publications). When not in the audience, he loves to travel the world and try new gins.
Heathers the Musical runs for 2 hours 30 minutes (with a 20-minute interval) and plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre through 19 September 2026. Tickets are available through Sydney Theatre Company.
Disclosure: The Plus Ones were guests of Good Humans PR
Image credit: Cameron Grant, Parenthesy.
