Review: Heathers The Musical at Manchester’s Palace Theatre

A show so good we had to see it twice! You might have already read our first review of Heathers The Musical at Liverpool Empire Theatre last month, but it was that good we just had to see it again, and this time at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The same show, a new theatre and a whole new experience! 

For those of you who don’t know anything about Heathers, it’s a musical adaptation of the 1989 thriller of the same name starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder. Think of it as a mix between Mean Girls and Clueless, just with a little...actually, a lot more murder – ahem we mean ‘suicides'. If high school bullies, cliques and a hot, mysterious, psycho-killer is your cup of tea, then you’re going to be drinking by the gallon because this musical has it all and more!   

The Heathers are the queen bees at Westerberg High School; they are so popular they appear immune to the teenage angst all the other students are battling with. They befriend Veronica – a ‘loser’ in the high school social chain and turn her into another queen bee. That’s until the hot and mysterious psycho-killer we mentioned earlier tricks Veronica into accidentally killing her new friends. Does his evil plan work? Does Veronica unknowingly become a serial killer? You’ll have to go and watch the show to find out.  

The Palace Theatre in Manchester is breath-takingly beautiful and the friendly, helpful staff add to the fantastic, seamless experience. From entering the theatre and being kindly shown to our seats, to being served surprisingly affordable drinks in a timely manner, we couldn’t have felt more special.  

Back to Heathers, as a musical it actually works incredibly well. Considering the essence of the film is a little dark, the musical managed to stay true to the film but add a humorous, quirky twist to make light of an otherwise morbid storyline. Featuring bold costumes, brassy personalities, and many, many catchy songs, this show is a world wind of fun.  

The show – and musical deals with some weighty topics – relating back to the storyline we mentioned above, the murders are framed to look like suicides – but the underlined story ultimately shows what happens when the dream of rising to the top of the social ladder unravels in the worst possible way. 

Witty lines keep the show light-hearted and fun, and the iconic phrases re-enacted from the show caused a triumph of laughter from the audience. There was even more great audience interaction as a few audience members came dressed in their own plaid skirts and blazers. 

One highlight is when the jocks’ dads declare their love for one another during their sons’ funeral, while singing the surprisingly upbeat My Dead Gay Son - met with whoops from the audience. 

Heathers The Musical is an explosion of fun (it had to be done) with everything you could want from a show: comedy, romance, and a sprinkle of murder. The show is still touring the UK until November 2021. You can buy tickets here.

Manchester Palace Theatre is home to a variety of fantastic shows, you can find all shows and book tickets here.