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Clueless The Musical is a contemporary new stage adaptation of the enduring ’90s movie that outlined a era. With a guide by the movie’s authentic author, Amy Heckerling, music by BRIT Award winner and Grammy nominee KT Tunstall, and lyrics by Glen Slater—identified for School of Rock, Love Never Dies, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid—this feel-good present first charmed audiences on the Churchill Theatre, Bromley in February 2024 earlier than making its completely buggin’ West End debut on the Trafalgar Theatre in February 2025.
Welcome to 90s Beverly Hills, the place Cher Horowitz has a coronary heart greater than her allowance and a singular expertise of discovering love for others. When awkward new woman Tai arrives on the town, Cher takes on her largest venture but – however is she matchmaking or meddling? And what about her annoying ex-stepbrother Josh who she will’t cease fascinated about? Suddenly, Cher’s life isn’t fairly so good and – ugh! – perhaps she’s the one being clueless.
Celebrated director Rachel Kavanaugh (Here and Now: The Steps Musical, Great British Bake Off The Musical, Witches Of Eastwick) directs New York based mostly Emma Flynn (Beautiful, Little Shop Of Horrors, Legally Blonde) as Cher, Keelan McAuley (Heathers The Musical, Grease) as Josh, Chyna-Rose Frederick (Spring Awakening, The Addams Family, The Crucible) as Dionne, Romona Lewis-Malley (Magic At The Musicals) as Tai, Isaac J Lewis (The Book of Mormon, Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) as Christian, Rabi Kondé (Diss-Lex-lans, The Unreturning, Middletown) as Murray, Blake Jordan (Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, My Fair Lady) as Travis and Max Mirza (Rent, Dick Wittington & His Cat, Cinderella) as Elton. Joining them are Ryan O’Donnell (Jesus Christ Superstar, Mandela, The Book Thief) as Mel, Mr Hall & Driving Instructor, Emily Florence performs Amber and Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy an Stella Solve a Murder, Doctor Who: Time Fracture, Spitfire) as Miss G, Ms S, Lucy & Heather. In the ensemble are Sophie Elmes (Grease, Peter Pan, Elf The Musical), Jacob Fisher (TremendousYou, Singin’ In The Rain, Evita), Emily Florence (A Face In The Crowd, Made in Dagenham, The Drowsy Chaperone), Aoife Kenny (Frozen The Musical, Snow White, White Christmas), Josh Latunji (Pippin The fiftieth Anniversary Concert), James Lim (Disney’s Aladdin), Ernest Stroud (Your Lie In April, Miss Saigon, Children Of Eden) and Grace Eleanor Thomas (The Children’s Enquiry, Anything Goes, Bad Girls) .
As our queen-bee Cher, Emma Flynn gave an outstanding efficiency. Her vitality appeared to know no bounds as she barely left the stage all through all the efficiency. Flynn’s skill to captivate the viewers from the opening quantity Perfect right through to the Act Two nearer, Clueless, was a grasp class for the younger main woman. Not solely did she ship a flawless vocal, however her comedian timing and understanding of the fabric was spot on delivering a Cher that the viewers immediately fell for. As her ex-stepbrother Josh, Keelan McAuley was the right main man giving a rousing vocal efficiency all through and cementing his hearth-throb standing in Act Two’s enjoyable boy-band impressed Reasonable Doubts. As Cher’s greatest good friend Dionne, Chyna-Rose Frederick gave a robust efficiency and her staged fights with Rabi Kondé’s Murray had been hilarious. As new-girl Tai, Romona Lewis-Malley delivered an inspiring efficiency. As the present’s ‘other’, Tai has the flexibility to alter hearts and minds and Lewis-Malley rises as much as the problem because the viewers identifies along with her Tai instantly. As her foremost love curiosity Travis, Blake Jordan delivered a feel-good efficiency typically impressively whizzing across the stage on skateboard. Isaac J Lewis provides a beautiful efficiency as Christian and Max Mirza’s Elton was hilarious. Both Ryan O’Donnell and Imelda Warren-Green gave spirited performances as a myriad of grownup characters with Warren-Green’s spectacular belt being showcased all through. The ensemble had supporting roles all through and all gave stellar performances which helped immerse the viewers in an electrifyingly nostalgic 90s Beverly Hills.
In the programme, composer KT Tunstall described the rating as impressed by ’90s pop—like a cassette taking part in on repeat in Cher’s automotive—and she or he completely nailed it. The music is a joyful mix of nostalgic tunes and irresistibly toe-tapping refrains that completely seize the period’s carefree spirit. Lizzi Gee’s choreography flows naturally from the narrative, bursting with vitality and stuffed with strikes that recall the type of dancing all of us tried at a completely bangin’ occasion again within the day. While movies typically hop between quite a few places—making stage variations probably clunky—
Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams’ set design is a triumph of transformation. From Cher’s bed room to Beverly High, her jeep, Swing Night on the Roxbury, the notorious freeway, and again once more, every scene is dropped at life by intelligent use of flown-in drops and thoroughly chosen set items. Together, the design and route conjure a totally immersive Beverly Hills that lands effortlessly on the Trafalgar Theatre stage, making the world of Clueless really feel contemporary, enjoyable and fabulously theatrical.
If you thought Mean Girls was a bit overwrought or can’t face sitting by Heathers for the millionth time, then Clueless The Musical is about to grow to be your new obsession. Fresh, humorous, and fabulously staged, it’s the final word ’90s throwback with a coronary heart as large as Cher’s wardrobe. Following rave evaluations and viewers demand, the present has been prolonged into early 2026—so there’s no excuse to overlook it. With a killer rating by KT Tunstall, whip-smart writing from Amy Heckerling herself and sufficient plaid to make your interior teen scream, Clueless is the feel-good hit we didn’t know we wanted. So seize your besties, mud off your knee-high socks, and prepare to roll with the homies. This present is, like, completely basic.
Reviewed by Stuart James
The publish CLUELESS first appeared on West End Wilma.