Returning to Melbourne for an encore season at the Athenaeum, 'Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical' is a nostalgia-filled romp, bursting at the seams with tunes and references from a time so many love, and others would rather forget.
Packed full of songs from the era, this jukebox musical follows the plot of the cult classic 1999 film of the same title – but takes the camp level up to 100. There’s also plenty of humour added into the mix, lifting what is at times a pretty dark and unforgiving plot in a way that makes it mostly work for the stage. The cast are all incredibly talented, a highlight being Sarah Krndija in the role of naive Cecile. Krndija has brilliant comedic timing and pulls off the added goofiness that the on-stage characterisation of the role calls for with ease. The lead actors deliver excellent physicality, a chaotic dance scene towards the end of the show from Kirby Burgess, in the role of scheming seductress Kathryn, leaving jaws on the floor.
While all cast members have incredible vocal chops, the songs don’t always do their talents justice. At times it felt as if they were being stretched ever so slightly to fit the song, rather than being able to make the song fit them. In the same vein, at times it felt like songs were really being shoehorned to fit in or around the narrative, just so that a very specific '90s song that they wanted could squeeze its way in to the show. That being said, the way they used 'The Sign' by Ace of Base was *chef's kiss* perfection. I will happily think of that very moment and instance every time I hear the song, now and forever more.
Image © Nicole Cleary
There were also a few moments in the show that had me recalling that unforgettable Jurassic Park quote. . . “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. Sure, the writers and producers managed to pull the show together for the stage and were able to bring in some incredibly catchy fun tunes to round it out – but considering the somewhat murky nature of the content and unavoidably homophobic moments that are relied on within the plot, should they have? In 2023, perhaps there were some tweaks that could have been made to the script that could have made it a bit more inclusive and aligned with contemporary nuance. But then again, maybe that's reading too much into it – the crowd, many with a few drinks under their belts, were singing and bopping along, enthusiastically whooping in all the right places, seemingly oblivious to the few little cringe moments peppered throughout.
If it’s a fun night out singing along to tunes you know and love with a gaggle of your mates that you crave, 'Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical' could be a great addition to the evening. It’s highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud throughout, and generally a goofy enough good time.
