Interview: How very? Staging Heathers the Musical in Cape Town

The South African premiere of Heathers – The Musical is happening in Cape Town at Artscape from July 17-27, 2024, staged by the Waterfront Theatre School. The musical is based on the 1988 film of the same name, starring Winona Ryder which became a cult hit. The production won the 2019 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical and was recently revived in the West End in London.The Waterfront Theatre School season is sold out – and sold out is sold out. No seats available. How very is that? “How very” is an iconic line from the bizarre and enigmatic Heathers which pivots around a trio clique of power high school girls, named Heather. A new girl, Veronica joins their ranks and things become hectic. Let’s say that Heathers is not one’s average high school musical fluff piece. How very can you go? Paul Griffiths (director) and Delia Sainsbury (costume design) provide insights:

TCR: Have you kept the late 80s setting and costumes? Set in America?

Paul Griffiths: We are keeping the production in its 1989 context. It remains set in America.

TCR:  What is the look of the Heathers in your production- the aesthetics – the big hair, padded shoulder, strident colours?

PG: We have maintained the big hair and the strident colours and the aesthetic is very much influenced by 1989 fashion. Thank fully Gen Z are keen thrifters and 80s fashion is still trending. So the costumes reflect both 80s and Gen Z styling. There are certain iconic design choices for the Heathers that we have integrated into the design concept. These iconic images are deconstructed as the narrative develops. 

TCR: What is the look of JD in your production? In the film, he was scruffy in jeans and a trench coat and kind of channelling a lover boy Jack Nicholson?

PG: JD is a disaffected youth who doesn’t subscribe to the norms of his peers. His look is influenced by the aesthetic of alternative sub cultures. We haven’t modeled him on any particular character.

 TCR: How have you positioned your staging of this dark story? It seems that some directors of the musical have made the ending happier and others have opted for the dark ending in the film?

PG: The text is very well written and transitions from the darker moments to the lighter moments have been sensitively considered. The writers mention in the script that the characters experience feelings so deep and wide they can only be expressed in song. They argue the piece is best served by honest emotion and life-and-death stakes. We have decided to play with absolute sincerity positioning the characters as recognizable human beings lunging for safety and happiness and love like a drowning man lunging for a lifeboat. 

Delia Sainsbury: The musical follows the story line of the film, but the lyrics enable a lighter approach whilst still retaining the satire.  The three Heathers rule the roost in their High School. Even the staff are wary of them. The literally are “spoilt mean girls” who manipulate and bully anyone they can dominate. They play some pretty cruel tricks on the weaker students, often resulting in ridicule. Veronica sees right through this. She’s smarter than all of them and although appearing to be part of the clique she despises them and thinks they’re entitled, vain and stupid- which they are.

TCR: The film is very stylised and satirical. Wondering how the emotional life is dealt with in the musical and in your interpretation?

PG: As mentioned previously the text is sensitively written and shifts in emotions are not as jarring as you may expect. My response to the previous question confirms how we have been influenced to deal with the emotional life of the characters. 

DS: Heathers is a darkly satirical slant on some very serious issues affecting the lives of teenagers. Originally set in the late 80s, it predominately deals with the pressures to be in the “popular “group and how being ostracised, what we would now call “cancel culture”, can seriously affect a teens mental health. The desire to “it in”, often going against the true nature of the teen can result in severe anxiety.

TCR:  In the film, Veronica wants to fit in but is not desperate. She is 16 going on 30. In the musical I have read that she is much more emotional and her journey comes across as coming of age?

PG: Veronica starts with a diary entry questioning whether she is a good person. She then gets caught up in a range of activities that would dispute this. Ultimately she discovers what it is that makes her “good” and she affirms a belief that all people have goodness in them. 

DS: When Veronica meets JD, a disaffected teen from a wealthy but bullying father, she expresses her contempt for the Heathers. As her relationship with JD deepens, he becomes obsessed with her and there’s nothing he won’t do to win her love and approval. He wants to remove all obstacles in her way. His penchant for violence is attributed to the aggressive violent nature of his own father.

TCR:   The film sent up suicide- veering from criticising it to glamourizing it making it celebrity suicide. How is this positioned in your production?

PG: The musical is very critical of the media circus surrounding this issue.  It is certainly not glamourised. 

DS: The point of the film and musical is to highlight the need for acceptance and be part of a tribe, and how rejection from a group can seriously affect the mental health of a teen. Parents and teachers are often totally unaware of the pain and anxiety this causes.

Heathers takes a satirical approach to bullying, popularity and even suicide. It is deliberately overly dramatic and glorifies the death of Heather Chandler (which is accidental) making her as important in death as she was in life. She is still revered by the whole school. The passing on of her red scrunchie is symbolic of passing on the baton of leadership.

TCR:    How has the young cast expressed their thoughts on the story and have provided input into their characters- as they have reflected on their school experiences?

PG: The musical is very popular with the students and they have been seriously invested in the material. Their experiences in school have fully informed the choices that have been made.

DS: Heathers is surprisingly well known in teen and young adult circles and in discussion with our own students, they appreciate the relevance of the content pertaining to today’s youth, and feel Heathers highlights the fact that teenagers need to be heard when the feel they are being bullied or ostracised and not just dismissed as being “ dramatic”. Great music, poignant lyrics and high energy dance all enhance the intention creating an exciting musical theatre experience whilst retaining the points the author makes.

TCR: Anything else to add?

PG: This production is very much the product of this rehearsal process. Whilst there are many references for the material, we have not sought to recreate or imitate any of these previous productions. We have used the text as our guide to build a world for this story and we have informed our dramatic choices with experiences that are relevant and resonant to us here and now. 

DS: Waterfront Theatre School has presented some cutting edge musicals in recent years, avoiding the tried and tested formats and reworking the text and musical numbers to create a fresh approach. This challenges the students to “think outside the box” and is in line with our take on the “‘triple threat” i.e. Perform Teach Create In the last few years we have produced Spring Awakening. Pippin, Our House, the new Oklahoma and now, Heathers.

✳ Heathers – The Musical– staged by the Waterfront Theatre School, July 17-27, 2024, Artscape Arena, Cape Town.Pics supplied.