Heathers, The Musical brings cult status movie to the stage

Emily Costello and Ben Wilson who play Veronica Sawyer and JD in Heathers, The Musical, at The Meteor June 4-12. Photo / Supplied

Some of Hamilton's most talented female thespians have banded together to produce Heathers, The Musical.

Producer Hannah Mooney has joined with director Mel Martin, musical director Kirsty Skomski and choreographer Stephanie Balsom for the inaugural Hamilton season of Heathers.

Heathers was released on film in 1989 and starred Winona Ryder. It immediately gained cult-like status as a teen comedy that didn't shy away from the joys and anguish of high school. Following the success of the film, Heathers was adapted into a musical and a television show.

Heathers follows Veronica Sawyer, who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. When Veronica is kicked out of the group, a hilarious, heartfelt and homicidal story unfolds.

Mooney said: "The show has a dedicated following and local performers have been saying for years that someone should do Heathers, so when Blackbox Creative approached me, I was in."

Heathers is Blackbox Creative's second musical, following a successful production of Spring Awakening in 2016, and most recently it has staged Constellations by Nick Payne in 2020 and The Intricate Art of Actually Caring in this year's Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

"I discovered the show in 2015 when it was debuting off Broadway. In a strange twist, when I was being interviewed in 2017 for my current job at The Meteor, I was asked what show I would like put on at the theatre, I said Heathers.

"It's serendipitous that this opportunity occurred, and with such a stellar team of women at the helm," said Mooney.

Director Mel Martin said: "Working on Heathers and some of the heavier content comes with its own challenges but we have a very talented, durable cast who are quick to overcome any hurdles and their performance abilities constantly blow my mind. We've also got a good portion of the team performing with Blackbox Creative and/or at The Meteor for the first time so I can't wait for our audiences to get a taste of something new and exciting."

Mooney has hinted that the production is bringing a method of staging previously unseen at The Meteor.

"Heathers deals with hard-hitting themes such as bullying, sexual violence, suicide and drugs. We further challenged ourselves by creating a show that offers a different experience for the audience."

The Details
What: Heathers the Musical (rated PG)
When: June 4-12
Where: The Meteor, Hamilton
Tickets: Start at $25. See: themeteor.co.nz/event/heathers-the-musical/