Theatre Royal Brighton – 24th-28th June 2025
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical rolls into Theatre Royal Brighton this week with a heady mix of nostalgia, sass and scandal. Based on the cult 1999 film, which itself was a glossy teen remix of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, this stage adaptation dials up the drama and cranks the jukebox to full volume.
If you’re after nuance and depth, this might not be your show. But if you want a wild, high-camp ride through the darker side of teenage manipulation with a 90s soundtrack ripped straight from your old Walkman, then step right in.
Step-siblings Sebastian and Kathryn are spoilt, rich and ruthless and place a bet on whether Sebastian can seduce Annette, the new headmaster’s daughter. As their scheme unfolds within the elite halls of a Manhattan prep school, the lines between game and reality blur and the stage is set for debauchery and betrayal.
What really gives this musical its personality is the score. It’s a full-blown 90s jukebox musical, featuring hits from Britney Spears, TLC, Natalie Imbruglia and The Verve. There’s no subtle weaving of songs into the story here. These numbers are smashed into scenes with gleeful abandon, such as Kathryn and Sebastian launching into Genie in a Bottle as they flirt over power games. It doesn’t always make narrative sense, but it’s fun to hear all the same.
The performances are what keep this show solid. Nic Myers is a standout as Kathryn, performing with menace and sophistication with just the right amount of camp. Her line delivery is razor-sharp and her vocals are gorgeous. Will Callan’s Sebastian looks the part, oozing cool and fully selling the character’s darker undercurrents. He has one of the strongest singing voices in the production, with a beautiful, gravelly quality, especially during his solo of Iris.
His duet on Colourblind with Abbie Budden’s Annette is genuinely touching and Budden’s voice is gorgeous. Lucy Carter’s Cecile is a scene-stealing delight, wringing every last laugh out of the character’s cluelessness, especially during a hilariously inappropriate rendition of I’ll Make Love To You.
Special mention to Luke Connor Hall and Joe Simmons (playing secret couple, Blaine and Greg), bringing a combination of laughs and raw intensity. Their version of *NSync’s Bye Bye Bye is a real highlight.
The set is minimalist but stylish. Lighting shifts try to suggest mood, though often feel a bit too gentle for the story’s more vicious turns. Costumes do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing character, with preppy plaid and velvet chokers giving serious Clueless meets Gossip Girl energy.
It’s fair to say the tone of this touring production can feel inconsistent. Sometimes it leans into the ridiculous with the self-awareness it needs, but at other times it seems to forget the satire and veers into awkward sincerity.
Still, the audience were more than happy to go along for the ride, especially when songs such as No Scrubs or Torn hit. The pacing is brisk, the laughs come thick and fast and it’s clear that the cast are having a blast.
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical might not be flawless theatre, but it knows exactly what it’s trying to be: a trashy, tuneful trip back to a time when angst was fashionable and nothing said ‘I love you’ like ruining someone’s life. It’s a messy, fun, guilty pleasure.
Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – 5 stars
Production photos credit: Pamela Raith
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