Based on the 1999 cult American teen movie of the same name, the stage musical version of Cruel Intentions takes its audience back to a pre-smartphone time when wealthy high-schoolers filled their summer days with sex, drugs, and millennial hits. Tongue-in-cheek silliness will meet racy melodrama - with a side order of highly watchable intrigue and deceit - when the production visits Birmingham Hippodrome in June. What’s On caught up with some of the show’s cast members to find out more.

Cruel Intentions, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair, hit cinema screens just before the new millennium, presenting a world of wealthy, New York teenagers that was brimming with scandal and seduction.

A jukebox musical version of the hit film is now touring the UK for the first time and visits Birmingham Hippodrome next month.

Spaghetti straps, chunky heels and oblong sunglasses abound in a cheekily self-aware show that follows the manipulative schemes of leads Kathryn and Sebastian, all of which are played out to a cracking 90s soundtrack.

Nic Myers, who plays Kathryn, and Lucy Carter, who stars as Cecile, offer a breakdown of the plot for the uninitiated.

“The show follows Kathryn and Sebastian, who are step-siblings,” explains Lucy. “We’re in the summer before school starts for their final year, and they hatch a plan to try and corrupt Annette Hargrove, who is the new headmaster’s daughter.”

“They’re trying to ruin her innocence!” Nic adds.

“Yes - well put!” Lucy continues. “We meet lots of other people on the way, who get stuck in their web of manipulation, lies and deceit.”

One of the individuals who finds herself caught in that web is the innocent Cecile, who quickly succumbs to Kathryn’s suggestion that she should get as much sexual experience as possible before making a move on her crush. Cecile and Kathryn are polar opposites - and both actors are clearly having a great time on stage.

“Sociopathic and manipulative - that is fun!” says Nic. “I’ve never played the baddie before. I think I would more naturally have been a Cecile at one point in my life, but it’s very fun to be sat on this side of it.”
The delicious ruthlessness of the characters - particularly Kathryn - is certainly part of the show’s appeal, but don’t be under any misconception that it’s a hard-hitting, serious drama.

“It’s raunchy, it’s fun, it’s nostalgic!” says Nic. “It’s just a blast… with a bangin’ 90s soundtrack!”

The show is perfect for fans of late 90s and early noughties pop, and for people who were entering their teens during that period. With hits by Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, NSYNC and Christina Aguilera all featuring, the pop quota is definitely reached - but there are also songs from the original film’s alt-rock soundtrack by The Verve, Placebo, Counting Crows… the list goes on.

For some of the cast, this marks the first time they’ve stepped out on a national tour. Among them are Midlands-born-and-raised Olivia Brookes (Ensemble & Kathryn cover) and Joe Simmons, playing Greg, who hails from Wolverhampton.

“I feel like I’ve not gone anywhere outside of London or the West Mids,” says Olivia. “It’s great to see all of these different areas in the UK.”

“We don’t get too much time to explore, though,” adds Joe, with a proper Wolverhampton accent that is worlds away from the voice he uses for his character in the show, ‘American Jock’. “I’ve never been to York, and that was such a beautiful city. Cheltenham was a bit crazy because we were there during race week…”

The added bonus of performing at the Hippodrome is that there will be some friendly faces in the audience. According to Nic, “Friday night is sold out by the Simmons [Joe’s family]!” It’s a statement which Joe sheepishly confirms: “Pretty much, yeah…”

The cast have a real camaraderie, which is essential when you’re living and working together on the road. And their infectious energy definitely makes its way onto the stage.

“It’s so much fun,” says Olivia. “We’ve got a really good group of people - on stage, off stage - we all just have a laugh! It’s such a silly show. It’s so outrageously camp, it’s just brilliant.”

“You’re going to have a good time, because we’re having a good time!” adds Nic.

“Even relatives that I really didn’t think would enjoy the show…” says Lucy. “I said to them ‘Please no! I do unspeakable things!’ But they enjoyed it.”

The production is fast-paced, with equal parts drama and silliness. And of course, it’s enhanced by the soundtrack. One of the cast’s favourite numbers is Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love To You, sung in the show by Cecile, with a group of teenage boyz - sorry, boys - providing the backing vocals. Lucy gives a hilarious physical performance of the song, while hitting every belting note.

“It’s my favourite to watch in the wings,” admits Nic.

Joe is one of the lads keeping a straight face on stage, so gets to see the response to the song first-hand: “Every night, Lucy does something different, and the audience absolutely eats it up.”

“Bitch is my favourite one to sing…” Nic reveals, referring to her character Kathryn’s version of Meredith Brooks’ top-10 single.

“And I love...” interjects Lucy, “I always call it Bohemian Rhapsody, but what is it really? Bitter Sweet Symphony! I love it! I love Kiss Me as well. It’s based around that image of Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar in the park.”

“At the time, it was the longest kiss of two women on screen, ever.” Nic explains. “It was very shocking to people back then. It’s a lot more earnest in the film than what we’re doing…”

This raises a question: the stage production is inspired by the film - with the addition of musical numbers - but how much have the cast been influenced by those original performances?

“It was a bit of a hard line to walk,” says Nic, “paying homage to the film and doing Sarah Michelle Geller justice.”

“When is it an impression or an impersonation, and when is it an interpretation?” muses Lucy. “I wouldn’t go into any other show and think about how someone else has played it before. There are certain boundaries - the content that you can’t stray from - but why do people go and see Wicked every time there’s a new cast? They want to see the new interpretation.”

“The script is verbatim,” Nic continues, “so for some moments that I feel are really iconic, I’ve gone back and looked at a scene. We do burst into song, which you can’t move away from - Sarah Michelle Geller’s not giving it Genie In A Bottle!”

For anyone who fancies giving the musical incarnation of Cruel Intentions a go, you’re in for a treat - it’s as sharp, bubbly and moreish as a round of mimosas.

“In Manchester,” says Lucy, “on the outside of the theatre, they summed it up perfectly: ‘The theatre equivalent of a bottomless brunch’! It’s so true - but you don’t have to have done that before the show. It’s just a good craic. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s such good fun - a bit of escapism. Come and have a laugh!”

Cruel Intentions shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 June.

By Jess Clixby