We take a look at what is being said about the musical based on the hit 1999 film.
Broadway World: **** “For anyone missing The Other Palace’s previous outing Heathers or bubblegum pop jukebox musical & Juliet, Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical makes for a worthy alternative as a sexy, silly and sultry ‘90s campfest with a killer soundtrack and a stellar cast. Fans are destined to love a pre-show announcement featuring a cameo from one particular 90s queen bee.”
Evening Standard: **** “The whole thing is a sexy, smirky, tongue-in-someone-else’s cheek riot, gleefully politically incorrect. Why it hasn’t been cancelled is anybody’s guess.”
The Guardian: *** “Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky is sensational in the role, exuding hauteur with the slightest hair toss. McCaulsky is matched well by Daniel Bravo, whose wavy curls recall Phillippe’s, and there are appealing professional debuts from Abbie Budden (Annette) and Rose Galbraith (Cecile), while Josh Barnett and Barney Wilkinson strengthen the film’s gay relationship. Nickcolia King-N’Da and Jess Buckby complete the cast whose confidence elevates a peppy musical that can’t quite calibrate the movie’s toxicity.”
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “Still, it is a whole load of fun, even when the direction and Gary Lloyd’s choreography tend to go for broad laughs rather than the whip-smart dryness of the script. Cruel Intentions may not be the best example of a jukebox musical, but its 1990s nostalgia does at least guarantee a good time for the whole audience, and you can never complain about that.”
Musical Theatre Review: ***** “Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical has been in the works for a long time now. I was lucky enough to see it at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and I am delighted that the infectiously silly and darkly joyous energy of that production has translated perfectly to The Other Palace stage. This show deserves the big-house West End success seen by & Juliet and Heathers, and will no doubt be entertaining those in need of a ’90s nostalgia kick for years to come. It is better than a time machine; better than a return to the economic prosperity of those years; better even than most ‘real’ musicals. Leave your good taste at home and enjoy this pure delight.”
London Theatre1: *****This is a highly entertaining production with a pulsating set of pop songs given the musical theatre treatment, providing a highly enjoyable evening of surprisingly delightful escapism. In terms of storyline as well as Gary Lloyd’s energetic choreography, Blaine (Josh Barnett) and Greg (Barney Wilkinson) arguing by way of NSYNC’s ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ complete with a boyband-like dance routine being a case in point, this isn’t a show that does things by halves. I’d see it again, and I don’t even care for chart music!”
London Theatre.co.uk: **** “the show belongs to the electrifying star-in-the-making Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky. She somehow splits the difference between the magnificent overacting required here (Kathryn never walks when she can slink, prowl or crawl) and an authentic core of hurt and anger at living in this prejudiced world – made all the more powerful by having a Black actress in the role. She belts out the songs with shattering conviction.”
The Stage: *** “Satirical, uneven adaptation with strong performances and a nostalgic score.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “Cruel Intentions is an absolutely camp, cheesy 90s night out and fans of the film and those that love a great night at the theatre with a show that isn’t too serious will love it! It’s exaggerated, over the top but is completely aware of this, so uses this to its full advantage. This is definitely more for the fans as oppose to the critics.”
Culture Whisper: *** “It’s a story that doesn’t hold up by today’s more stringent morality standards, and O’Boyle addresses this by presenting a production that winks nostalgically at the erawhile holding the plot’s venom at arm’s length. No scene is played too seriously, but as a result, the show is not as sexy as the movie. Still, whoops from the press night audience suggest its two hours of throwbacks will continue to be readily received.”
Theatre Weekly: “While the storyline sticks to the original, the musical takes the film’s tongue in cheek view of itself a whole lot further. It calls itself ‘the 90’s musical’ for a reason; it’s absolutely packed with a cavalcade of certified bops. Most juke-box musicals will attempt to seamlessly integrate the pop song to the story, not Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical, which delights in shoehorning any song with even the most tenuous link into the dialogue. It’s hilarious, and the audience loves it.”
British Theatre Guide: “Overall, great fun—and a fine tribute to the late Bill Kenwright. If it’s not ‘lame’ to say so, I envisage the show garnering a loyal fanbase during its run, if it hasn’t already.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “Jonathan O’Boyle’s fabulous direction makes full use of the intimate stage that is the main space at The Other Palace to create a production feeling far grander than the stage it is on, similar to how Heathers did before it. With inspired use of a revolve and grand, exaggerated gestures from our cast of wonderful characters, the direction ties in perfectly with the writing (other shows, take note) to create a cohesive, well-rounded and consistently entertaining production.”
Time Out: **** “Jonathan O’Boyle’s staging rockets along with confidence, humour and energy, as choreographer Gary Lloyd blends a punchy sense of pastiche into the show’s set-pieces.”
LouReviews: ** 1/2 “Some properties just don’t lend themselves to musicalisation without care or reason. And although I was open to the idea and wanted to like this, sadly, whatever the intention, this is more crass than Cruel.”
West End Best Friend: *** “This show is a camp love-letter to the 90s and when judged as such, it ticks all the right boxes. The snippets and snatches from over 20 songs often burst out of nowhere, like a parody of a jukebox musical, but the musical team pulled an absolute blinder with their arrangement of ‘Kiss Me’ by Sixpence None The Richer – we could watch that scene on a loop on its own for 90 minutes.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: **** “The dialogue, mostly lifted straight from the film, is cleverly interspersed with a plethora of 90s hit songs. While this choice contributes to the overall nostalgic experience, it’s important to note that some language reflects the time in which the story is set, potentially causing discomfort for certain audience members.”
Cruel Intentions continues to play at The Other Palace until the 14th April.