How on earth did this show sell out at The Other Palace; and what is this 1980s movie that seems to have acquired such a cult following from today’s teenagers!?!?! I almost expected hair scrunches to be thrown at the stage and people to join in with each ‘Dear Diary’. Needless to say, this show was not for me.
Carrie Hope Fletcher is brilliant, and her voice is amazing, but I don’t think this show is good for showing anyone’s full potential. Everything about it was so in your face and over the top that it was ridiculous and, quite frankly, painful to watch. There was no light or shade or subtly or differentiation to anything - it was all pitched at one level and you were constantly bombarded with it. It became quite tedious very quickly. For example, Heather Chandler (Jodie Steele) is supposed to be the ultimate mean girl, but she was just an absurd caricature and wasn’t funny at all. I don’t know if this is how things are portrayed in the movie, but I really don’t think that it worked on stage. I grimaced every time she was on stage.
There was also something about this show that made it feel really messy at the edges. I’m not sure if it’s because it is now in a different space, but for something that has had a full run and transferred it just didn’t feel as slick or polished as I would have expected.
There is obviously a massive fan base for this show, because I have never seen the Theatre Royal so busy, but I’m not sure how that happened! If you like the movie then I’d say see this show for yourself and compare; otherwise, I’d probably give it a miss.