Mean Girls | Live Show Review – TOP 20 MUSICALS 2024: NO 5

Cindy Marcolina
Saturday, November 30, 2024

The musical version of the beloved teen movie is making fetch happen at the Savoy Theatre in the West End

Georgina Castle (Regina) and the Mean Girls ensemble (Images credit: Brinkhoff-Mögenburg)

Every day is Wednesday at the Savoy Theatre. Countless quotes, Halloween costumes and specific references later, Tina Fey’s 2004 girlish movie extravaganza became a musical in 2017 with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Fey herself. A second film (this time based on the musical) hit the screens earlier this year, followed by a public outcry that bemoaned the lack of transparency when promoting its genre. Everyone seemed to be personally victimised by Regina George again.

Based on a self-help book from the Noughties, Mean Girls follows a group of girls navigating social cliques and bullying. It all kicks off when homeschooled Cady moves from South Africa to suburban Illinois and is thrown into the deep end of high school drama. It’s a riot of a musical – it’s big and fun and bubblegum pink. Fey has slightly modernised the script, which now contains jabs at Ozempic and more contemporary slang. These updates are reflected in the staging too, with scenic designer Scott Pask adding posters of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo to Damian’s bedroom. It all plays into the awareness that this is a timeless story. It worked in 2004, then in 2017, and it still resonates today,
20 years after we first met Cady and co.

A series of ultra-HD displays surround the stage in a curve. This serves as a backing for the different settings, but it also becomes an interactive tool for Janis and Damian’s retelling. Yes, it’s a way out of having long scene changes that stunt the pace but, instead of coming off as the lazy choice it could have been, it brings modernity to the Savoy.

Casey Nicholaw’s direction doesn’t rely on the immediacy of the tech at all. He establishes a seamless stream of spoken action and dance using traditional set-pieces that are enacted by the company. As choreographer as well as director, he’s ensured there’s no distinction between the various breaks into song and narrative moments. It’s all one huge splashy spectacle.

The Plastics might rule the classroom, but Tom Xander is the true star of the show. A remarkable triple threat, he carries a pitch-perfect presence and utterly delectable humour as Damian. Xander is perfectly in tune with Elena Skye’s Janis and in thrilling opposition with the catty trio comprising Georgina Castle (absolutely stunning as Regina), Elèna Gyasi (Gretchen, deeply insecure and striving to be noticed) and Grace Mouat (Karen, a lovely airhead). Skye herself is a joy to watch. She brilliantly channels a younger Kate McKinnon in physical comedy and looks, driving the narration alongside Xander with bold flair and sardonic banter in vibrant contrast with the chipper feel of the rest of the show.

Charlie Burn completes the main cast with an eclectic take on Cady. She goes from being an oddball outsider who says the wrong thing at the wrong time to ruling the school with apt flexibility.

Though we can find powerhouse performances across the board, the real strength lies in the ensemble as a whole. Nicholaw’s choral numbers are built with astonishing detail that immediately lifts the musical calibre. While the choreography is probably among the top elements of the piece, the generalised pop-ish songs remain rather utilitarian throughout, with lyrics that describe more than they affect.

All in all, though, if there’s anything that could ever make fetch happen, it’s this rendition of Mean Girls. It’s the epitome of commercial theatre, a project developed to please an audience who already know they’ll love it even before overspending on their tickets. A hilarious romp soaked in perfectly millennial nostalgia, it has just secured its place as the most popular girl in the West End, dethroning SIX and rivalling the likes of Mamma Mia! and Sister Act. While the exceptional production values sadly don’t extend to the quality of the wigs, it’s a riotous night out. Certified fetch entertainment.