Cruel Intentions The musical is based on the film directed and written by Roger Kumble, who I think helped create the musical. The show follows Sebastian and Kathryn, who are rich step-siblings and like to play games with people for fun. Kathryn makes a bet with Sebastian to have sex with the headmaster’s daughter Annette before school starts. Annette is waiting for marriage, so they want to ruin her innocence before then. If Sebastian wins the bet, he gets to have sex with Kathryn, but if Sebastian fails, Kathryn gets his car. As Sebastian tries to seduce Annette, he unexpectedly falls in love with her, complicating the bet and unravelling his cold-hearted exterior. Meanwhile, Kathryn is jealous because her ex-boyfriend dumped her and is now dating Cecile. She wants to ruin Cecile’s reputation as revenge.

Cruel Intentions The musical was a fantastic show that was cleverly done. The set was limited, but it had very creative lighting effects, which helped make for a great atmosphere and helped with the scene changes. It also had some clever set prices; for example, when there was a scene with a pool, it would have half a pool stairs that made it look like it would go into the pool. This I thought was a clever element, as it was something simple but looked very effective, and they had a few other interesting objects used for sets and props. The songs in this musical are all 90s songs, but some of them have their own spin or changed how they are performed or sound; this made for a unique twist. One of my favourite songs was the song that ended the first half; it started with I’m Only Happy When It Rains, and then it blended most/all the songs we had heard in the first half together into one seamless song, which I found to be very creative. I also liked the prep school uniform the boy and girl cast wore.

The cast was fantastic and all extremely talented with great beautiful voices. The backup dancers were great and had very clever and creative choreography. One of the most creative sequences was for the Colourblind song for the choreography.  Will Callan delivered a great performance as Sebastian and had a fantastic voice. He approached the role with confidence, swagger and coolness, from not just how he talked, but in the way he moved. At first, Sebastian came across as mean and intimidating, but as the show progressed, Callan revealed layers to the character. There was a quiet vulnerability beneath his tough exterior, and he did an excellent job of subtly showing glimpses of Sebastian’s more innocent, even sensitive, side. What I liked was how he didn’t force a sudden change and, instead, showed the softer side that slowly emerged, making it feel more believable. This made me warm to his character and feel more emotionally attached and connected to him.

Nic Myers was badass as Kathryn, bringing a commanding presence to the stage, fully embodying Kathryn’s manipulative confidence and having a very powerful voice. Striking and effortlessly elegant, she had a cool, dangerous intimidating charm that suited the role perfectly. Beyond that, her subtle comedic timing made for some expressive reactions, especially when watching the drama unfold from the sidelines. I also loved her character’s outfits and high-heeled shoes. What made her performance even more immersive and captivating was that it was the first time I’d ever sat in the front row of a show. Throughout the show, she interacted with me—smiling or glancing my way—which drew me in even further. There were moments when I couldn’t tell if she was actually looking at me or just in my direction—but later I found out she was, which made the whole thing feel more surreal and memorable.

Abbie Budden was amazing as Annette. She brought out the innocent yet confident side of the character. She had a great voice, but what stood out most to me was how charming and likeable she was on stage. The real highlight of her performance, aside from her vocals, was how well she handled the emotional scenes. You could feel the pain and hurt she was going through, just from her facial expressions, her voice, and the way she carried herself—it made you feel genuinely sorry for her. She could also be funny at times, and I loved how she played Annette as someone who was never intimidated and always self-assured. She also wore lots of bright colourful outfits.

Lucy Carter was talented in the role of Cecile. She was so funny and brought great energy to the character, who’s a bit dumb and inexperienced, but still really confident in her own way. It was amazing how Lucy managed to make Cecile both funny and bold at the same time. She had a great voice and delivered all her songs with a lot of personality. She also had fantastic chemistry with Kevin Yates, who played Ronald—their scenes together were really fun to watch and felt natural. The way they played off each other added a lot to both characters and made their parts in the story even more enjoyable. Both Lucy and Kevin also had great chemistry with Gabriella Williams, who played Cecile’s mum. What’s even more impressive is that Gabriella played two characters in the show, and she was brilliant in both.

Luke Conner Hall and Joe Simmons were also a great pair together. Luke brought charisma and energy to the role of Blaine, with confident movement and a strong stage presence. Luke also made me laugh a lot, especially in one scene where he was singing a song and then said to answer the phone mid-song. His dynamic performance helped bring out Joe’s comedic side as Greg, and their chemistry was a highlight. Together, they delivered some of the show’s funniest moments and earned some of the biggest laughs from the audience. They were fun to watch together and had great voices. The other thing I liked is how, as time went on, it felt like Greg was slowly becoming more confident about being gay where at the start, he was trying to deny it completely. Luke was also good at acting in the background of scenes, especially when watching Greg and Sebastian interact, which made for some more comedic moments. All The cast members are lovely and kind individuals offstage, offering a different contrast to the often intense or complex characters they portray and bring to life onstage.

The show gave a lot more insight into how the characters felt, using songs in a clever way. The music didn’t just fit the story—it actually helped reveal more about what the characters were feeling inside. For example, we find out that one character loves another in their own way, and feels really hurt and upset when they start to lose them. This made us connect with the characters even more than we did in the film. Nic and Will had such an natural chemistry—throughout the show they were really touchy, hugging, resting their legs on each other, and just seeming very comfortable together. It made their relationship feel more romantic, more dangerous, and like they genuinely cared and could be themselves around each other. They were fantastic to watch and worked perfectly as a pair. One scene I found funny was the “Kiss Me” moment. Kathryn is trying to teach Cecilia how to kiss, but before she even finishes saying “kiss me,” Cecilia just goes for it. Kathryn was shocked at how good of a kisser she was and was taken aback. It caught Kathryn off guard and the way she reacted—half surprised and shocked slightly trying to push her away, but she didn’t mean it and also enjoyed it, but then she had to subtly brush it off after getting big laughs from the audience. It was a great moment that stood out. The musical had lots of innuendos without showing anything explicit which made me and others laugh lots. One of the more unexpected moments came during a scene set in the swimming pool, where the staging was cleverly adapted to evoke the original film. The inclusion of brief nudity from one of the characters was surprising—something not often encountered in mainstream theatre. While unexpected, it underscored the production’s bold, older teen tone and willingness to push boundaries, just like the film did. Some of the audience cheered at that moment.

Cruel intentions the musical did have a few very small issues that I would have liked to improve. I thought it might have been a little confusing at times for people who haven’t seen the film. I also found the show to be quite short and a bit rushed—especially in the second act. I would have liked a few more talking scenes to help extend the run time and give the story a bit more depth. I think they may have cut a few things since the tour started, as the program listed a longer run time than what we saw. I also would have liked to see more set changes and maybe even one original song to add something new.

Overall, Cruel Intentions: The UK Tour is a fantastic creative musical with a talented cast, great vocals, and stylish outfits. It’s a romantic, funny and emotional show that pulls you in. What made my personal experience even more special was the cast interacting with me during the performance—it made the night unforgettable. I highly recommend catching the show at its final stop in Brighton if you get the chance, and I hope we get a filmed version of the tour. Cruel Intentions the musical is an incredibly fun night out! 4 ⭐️