Mean Girls the Musical
15 October 2024
Savoy Theatre
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
It was finally time to see Mean Girls The Musical, currently running at the Savoy Theatre in London! Tickets had been purchased months ago with much excitement.
The show follows the plot of the film pretty closely, adding a slew of songs throughout the story. Unfortunately the stage relied heavily on large screens surrounding it. While the screens were cleverly utilised, including corridors and sliding screens, the atmosphere just didn’t feel fully achieved. I personally always prefer actual set pieces and backdrops, which were very sparse in this production. A few school chairs, benches, beds rolling in and out of the scenes, the production didn’t feel fully realised with the heavy reliance on projected backdrops on the walls of screens, appearing more like a small scale touring production than a fully staged West End show.
The Plastics were absolutely perfect however, Georgina Castle stuns as Regina George, dripping derision and superiority with every move, every word. Accompanied by Elèna Gyasi as an energetic Gretchen Wieners, and Grace Mouat as a charming and upbeat Karen Smith, the trio are excellent as a focal point of the show. The highlights however are unquestionably Elena Skye as Janis Sarkisian with one of the strongest voices of the production, and Tom Xander as Damian Hubbard who single handedly carries the entire show on his back, bringing charming comic relief to a bit of a rushed huddle of a script.
The tone of the film is definitely carried over into the show, including the extreme fatphobia and body shaming unfortunately, adorned in bright colours and supported by funny, high energy songs. The choreographies are another sparkling highlight, with dancers whirling across the stage with contemporary, effervescent moves and well rehearsed ensemble pieces that are a feast for the eyes.
Overall, a high energy, funny, nostalgic production that incorporates contemporary humour and references, but falls a little flat.
