Cruel Intention sweeps audiences back to the music of the 90s at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Pamela Raith Photography
Cruel Intentions - The 90s Musical is a jukebox show set (as the name suggests) to 90s hit songs and last night it burst onto the stage at HMT with a musical score and cast who give some strong performances and delivered stand out vocals.
It’s an adaptation of the 1999 iconic film which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon - however having never seen the movie I can’t make comparisons to how this musical adaptation compares.
Cruel Intentions, set in New York, is a tale of Upper East Side privileged and rebellious teenagers who revel in a game of subversion and sabotage.
Step-siblings Sebastian Valmont (Will Callan) and Kathryn Merteuil (Nic Myers) take the lead as manipulative characters who have a seemingly complex and implied taboo relationship. Their performances are well-delivered with a believable chemistry evident between them.
Chemistry abounds in Cruel Intentions at HMT. Image - Pamela Raith Photography
The plot sees them make a bet with each other for Sebastian to successfully ‘de-flower’ the school’s new headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove (Abbie Budden), before the start of the school year. If he does, then Kathryn promises she will reward Sebastian in a shocking way that no doubt raised some eyebrows in the audience.
That is as deep as the plot gets and though it also tries to address issues of homophobia and racism, the musical is perhaps best described as one that does not seem to take itself seriously.
Together with a trashy blunt harshness, it has a playful edge and moments of fun. There is also a camp undertone, and a gay relationship is touched on between two of the high school teenagers.
The performances of the main characters are strong, and the vocal performances of the entire cast cannot be faulted.
The cast of Cruel Intentions delivers strong vocal performances. Image - Pamela Raith Photography
I particularly enjoyed the choreography, the set of the scene acted out in Penn Station , as well as numbers, which included Kiss Me, Torn and The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony, which closes the show.
The music of the 1990s passed me, so while this jukebox musical is packed full of tunes from that decade, there were sadly only a few that resonated with me. The tracks were no doubt chosen to fit the narrative, but at times the choices felt a bit forced.
If you are a fan of nostalgic 90s numbers and looking for a night out that will transport you back to the lavish lives some people lived in the 1990s, then Cruel Intentions – The 90s Musical is a night at HMT that you’ll ‘Wannabe’ at.
Cruel Intentions – The 90s Musical is at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday, April 12. For more information and tickets visit Aberdeen Performing Arts website.
Review by Shona Byrne