Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical Tickets

By: Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin, Roger Kumble, based on a screenplay by Kumble   Songs by: Various artists
Director: Jonathan O’Boyle  Choreography: Gary Lloyd
Cast list: Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky (as Kathryn), Daniel Bravo (as Sebastian), Abbie Budden (as Annette), Rose Galbraith (as Cecile), Josh Barnett (as Blaine), Jess Buckby (as Ms Bunny Caldwell/Dr Greenbaum), Nickcolia King-N’Da (as Ronald), Barney Wilkinson (as Greg)
Design: Polly Sullivan
Costumes: Polly Sullivan
Lighting: Nick Richings
Sound: Chris Whybrow
Other info: Music direction by Denise Crowley

Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical was first performed in a bar in Los Angeles in 2015, followed by an Off Broadway run in 2015-16, and a US tour. The show made its UK premiere when it was presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019.

Based on the aforementioned pre-French Revolution literary classic about the aristocracy behaving badly, the story shows just how cruel teenagers – especially obscenely wealthy ones – can be. And all while delivering endless stingers from the fabulously quotable script, belting out classic pop songs, and looking far more chic in their ‘90s-inspired costumes than any teenager has a right to.

The production is directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, who first directed the show in Edinburgh and at Spiegeltent Palais du Variété in 2019. O’Boyle is Director of the School of Musical Theatre at ArtsEd. A noted interpreter of classic musical comedy, his upcoming productions include Barnum at the Watermill Theatre and White Christmas at the Mill at Sonning. If you loved the high school backstabbing of Heathers the Musical (which shares the same producers), you’ll be sure to love this!

What to watch for

• The book for the musical is co-written by Roger Kumble (with Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross), who wrote and directed the original film.
• The original soundtrack featured Placebo’s “Every You Every Me”, the Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, and Counting Crows’s “Colorblind.” These numbers also feature in the musical.
• Numbers from the Spice Girls were added for the UK production – it’s impossible to indulge in ‘90s nostalgia without some Girl Power!
• Cruel Intentions is one of several ‘90s teen classics to be based on classic literature: Clueless is based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Ten Things I Hate About You on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and She’s All That on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Perhaps one of these will get the musical treatment next – though Pygmalion has been done before!