Iconic film Cruel Intentions has become the latest '90s classic to be reimagined as a musical, following in the footsteps of Mean Girls and Heathers.
Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical just had its London premiere at The Other Palace, delighting critics.
The musical is running at the Off West End venue from now until April 14.
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Based on the film starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair, which was in turn based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical was created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin, and Roger Kumble.
It tells the story of manipulative step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil, who engage in a cruel bet as part of one of their twisted games.
Kathryn goads Sebastian into trying to seduce the headmaster's virtuous daughter Annette Hargrove in order to destroy her life and innocence.
The musical's soundtrack is full of '90s hits, including 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve, REM's 'Losing My Religion', Natalie Imbruglia’s 'Torn', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie in a Bottle', TLC’s 'No Scrubs', *NSYNC’s 'Bye Bye Bye', and Britney Spears’s 'Sometimes'.
BUY CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90S MUSICAL TICKETS
Speaking about the musical, the 1999 film's writer and director Roger Kumble said: "The perfect 25th anniversary celebration of my 1999 film about a pair of hedonistic Manhattan step-siblings is seeing it re-imagined on the London stage as a musical.
"It's an amazing show with a soundtrack loaded with all the greatest '90s guilty pleasure songs. Even people who hate musicals will love it!"
The UK cast is led by Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky (Six) and Daniel Bravo (Witness for the Prosecution) as the evil Kathryn and Sebastian with Abbie Budden as Annette and newcomer Rose Galbraith as Cecile.
John Barnett, Barney Wilkinson, Nickcolia King-N'Da, Jess Buckby, Craig Watson (Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream), Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Charlotte O’Rourke (Mamma Mia) and Verity Thompson round out the cast.
BUY CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90S MUSICAL TICKETS
Below, Digital Spy rounds up some of the critical reactions to Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical.
"This musical version of the now-classic 1999 film is a pure blast of nostalgia. But like the original screenplay, it’s sharper and spikier than your average high-school-set, singalong teen drama."
"This deliciously trashy musical adaptation of the 1999 film inserts Nineties pop classics into its story of cynical sexual shenanigans among privileged New York teens. A fast, funny, guilty pleasure, it’s a fitting tribute to the popular touch of its late producer Bill Kenwright."
"It's slick, it's sexy – in short, it's London's newest must-see musical and surely destined for the same cult status as the movie."
"This may be a story in which innocents are manipulated and wronged, but there’s a tongue-in-cheek quality to the entire enterprise — dreamt up by Jordan Ross and Lindsey Rosin and staged off-Broadway in 2017 — that sugar-coats the cynicism."
"Some of the attitudes feel a bit dated and some of the pacing is rushed, but this high-camp night of nostalgia still makes for an entertaining evening."
Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical is running now at The Other Palace in London until April 14.
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Stephanie is a writer who specialises in pro wrestling, covering everything from AEW and WWE to NJPW.
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