Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre Review
Written by Eleanor for Theatre and Tonic.
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.
Mean Girls is a musical based on the iconic 2004 film. The show, written by Tina Fey with music by Jeff Richmond, is a retelling of a ‘cautionary tale’ about how, as character Damian puts it, “dodgy decisions can get another girl hit by a bus.”
Cady Harris (Charlie Burn) moves to Illinois from Kenya in order to better socialise herself within her peer group. To help her fit in, friends Damien (Tom Xander) and Janice (Elena Skye) show her the designated cliques within the school. The most prolific of these is the plastics; a group of three girls led by Regina George (Georgina Castle) who set the social rules for their classmates. Although initially friends, Regina and Cady's feud over Aaron (Daniel Bravo) leads to the release of the Burn Book and a massive fallout which affects the whole school.
Unlike many who were in the audience when I saw this show, I do not have a strong love or familiarity for the original source material. I have seen the 2004 film a couple of times and I also reviewed the more recent 2024 film remake (my full review of which you can find here). I'm also only familiar with a couple of songs on the original 2018 Broadway album. But after seeing the cast perform two songs at West End Live this year, my interest was piqued. The vocals of this cast looked to be very strong and I thought this was a show that I would enjoy. With that being said, I was still surprised by how much I loved it. Like Cady singing out to her classmates at prom, I saw only stars in this cast who each displayed flawless vocals and are incredibly talented.
Mean Girls opens in a way that I did not expect, with Janis and Damian hosting a friendship event and narrating the story to us as their audience. They instantly got everyone at ease and showed from the start how fun and light-hearted this show was going to be. The plot of the musical tracks pretty closely to the plot of the film. Although I knew what happens, I was fully engaged with this retelling and wanted to see how everything played out.
I do think that the production is elevated by Jeff Richmond's music and Nell Benjamin's lyrics. The songs may not be that complex, but they are thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. After the song ‘Where Do You Belong?’ I was fully on board. It is a proper musical theatre number with excellent ensemble choreography, vocals, and humour. There have been some notable lyric changes and I think some of the music has changed to be more in line with the recent film, but the richer orchestrations when hearing it live meant it remained enjoyable. ‘Revenge Party’, for example, was a song I didn't wholly enjoy in the film but was the perfect Act One closer. I thought every single number was excellent, catchy and emotive and provided an excellent means of storytelling throughout the show. The audience broke out in rapturous applause after every single one.
There are also some notable additions to the script of Mean Girls, giving the impression that it has been tailored to a more modern and British audience. There are certain jokes and references, which I will not spoil here, that I doubt were included in the original Broadway run. There are also some costume touches which seems to suggest this version of the show is set in the 2020s, such as the choices of Halloween costumes and the T-shirts worn by the theatre clique. Additions such as these allude to the fact that the events are taking place more recently without affecting the plot too much. But even with these more modern additions, the classic lines are still there (“she doesn’t even go here!”) and play to the audience’s expectations to brilliant effect.
At the beginning I was unsure of the use of screens as a backdrop. It felt quite stark in places, particularly when Cady is shown in the savanna. The displays are colourful and dynamic but there were occasions when I was looking for something more. Nevertheless, I can't deny the special effects used on the backdrops in some cases are very vibrant and so cleverly used to heighten the action that takes place on stage, particularly during the ‘World Burn’ segment. I also noticed the screens less when the whole ensemble was on stage, which is for the majority of the show, and they allowed for seamless scene changes.
The strength of Mean Girls is that every character is so rounded and relatable. Charlie Burn as Cady Heron is very charismatic and believably naïve. She also includes more humour in Cady’s character than in the previous film, particularly with her poor flirting techniques. Charlie clearly shows the progression of the character through the musical and keeps Cady likeable throughout. Georgina Castle’s portrayal of Regina George caught my attention immediately. Everything she does, from her voice to her movements, is so precise. The way she interacts with each character gives you a real sense of why she's in charge. I also loved the way Georgina shifts her characterisation at the end of the show – it was wonderfully funny! Elèna Gyasi and Grace Mouat as Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith play off each other so well and work excellently alongside Cady and Regina. In group scenes I particularly enjoyed watching them in the background as they acted through the choreography or in little social interactions with other students. Both also have their moments to shine, with Elèna’s performance of ‘What's Wrong With Me?’ being emotive and relatable. And at the opposite end of the school cafeteria we have Janis, played by Elena Skye, and Damian, played by Tom Xander. Both are an excellent device to move the plot along, acting as external narrators. ‘I'd Rather Be Me’ is such a fantastic anthem which Elena leads up to very well. Tom is the perfect Damian, who has some of the funniest moments (such as a scene with a motorised scooter) which had the audience in fits of laughter.
Mean Girls is a wonderful musical which brings a fresh and enjoyable spin on the original book. The cast delivers standout performances throughout with flawless vocals and hilarious character portrayals. With its host of memorable songs and scenes, it is a pink and glittering addition to the West End. If you're considering seeing this show, please do! And even if you are unsure, please do give it a go if you are able to. You might find yourself as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Mean Girls is playing at the Savoy Theatre and currently booking until 16th February 2025.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
