Tag: review

Posted in Blogtober, TV

Blogtober Day 13: The Haunting of Bly Manor Review and Discussion ***Spoilers***

Posted on by Georgia Haze

I’ve just finished watching The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix and I have thoughts. Having watched The Haunting of Hill House about a year and a half ago I thought I knew what to expect with Bly Manor but it had a very different feel. Ultimately, I really enjoyed Bly Manor, partially because I was surprised about how different it was from Hill House.

The ending summarises the core difference between the two shows quite nicely. Whereas Hill House is a ghost story, Bly Manor is a love story. And a pretty damn sad one at that. Whereas Hill House preys on your fear by filling each episode with jump scares, Bly Manor takes a very different approach in its storytelling. Yes, there are still ghosts. Yes, there’s still a creepy old house. But, the characters that populate the show take centre stage over the ghosts in this story.

Despite the dream hopping which made all episodes from 5 onwards a bit twisted, I found Bly Manor easier to follow than Hill House. I think it had the right amount of characters, even if there were a couple of missed opportunities. For me, Uncle Henry was a character that I wanted to learn more about, his Mr Hyde figure was a fascinating edition to the story but felt a bit disconnected to everything else going on. I wish we got to understand a little more about where, when and how his split self came into his world.

Speaking of the characters though, I really enjoyed getting to know this group of people. I found each of their stories compelling and linked in seamlessly with the show’s central themes, from Owen dealing with watching his mother slip further into her dementia to Hannah’s big secret. Also, I can’t write a review of this show without saying how amazing the cast is, especially the young cast. Flora and Miles are genuinely likeable kids and it’s heartbreaking when you see how far Peter is willing to go to manipulate them into letting him and Rebecca possess them.

It’s the possession and the idea of being tucked away into memories that was really interesting for me as a viewer. There’s something unsettling about that idea of being lost in your own head and seeing both Hannah and Peter get stuck in the same memories repeatedly was the kind of psychological torment that creates a whole new level of fear. It’s not jump scares but it’s that claustrophobic feeling of not being able to leave your own mind. It’s such an fascinating concept to explore under the umbrella of horror and I thought the show did a great job with it.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this show was the throwback episode where we got a full backstory of the principle ghost of Bly Manor, Viola, and got an understanding of why she haunts in the way she does. There is true tragedy in her story and, dodgy English accent aside, I thought it was handled brilliantly. It’s not easy to pull off kind of that stepping-away-from-the-central-action-for-an-entire-episode thing but something about Viola’s story and how it filled in the mysteries still left wide open in the story was captivating for me.

The last thing I want to talk about with this show was the ending. I have to say, the ending wasn’t my favourite thing about the show. Although I liked how we discovered that Jamie was telling an adult Flora the story of how Dani saved her life without her realising it, I did think there was going to be a bigger twist. I found myself feeling really sad for Jamie and Dani’s ending even though it seemed as though there wasn’t any other conclusion left for Dani. I guess that’s just what the show is though, a much more emotional watch than Hill House because these shows, to me, are more like cousins than siblings. Trying to replicate the success of Hill House by following the same format wouldn’t have been nearly as original as Bly Manor turned out to be and I’m glad the team behind it took this approach.

What did you think of The Haunting of Bly Manor? Let me know in the comments.

Posted in Movies

Midsommar Review ***Spoilers*** and Some Blog CPR

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Wow. Ok, this poor little blog has been neglected for some time. So, what could draw me back? Is it merely in the quest for something to do in the endless hours of prolonged lockdown or having something new and topical to say about the recent Coronavirus pandemic? No. I’m making a comeback and breathing some new life into this blog because I watched Midsommar last night and I need to talk through the weird choices in this weird movie that left me totally confused. So… let’s discuss.

I decided to watch Midsommar because I’m on a bit of a catch-up kick at the moment. I’ve typical avoided horror movies all of my life, letting the occasional few slip the net but mostly I steer myself away from them. I don’t really know why, perhaps because for me horror films seem very hit and miss and I hate the feeling of complete hopelessness some horror directors are determined to leave you with as the credits roll. But, I’ve been desperately trying to broaden my viewing habits lately so I’ve been watching a couple of the recent horror hits including It and A Quiet Place, both films I quite enjoyed. My only real issue with It was its runtime, it does feel like a movie that could be told in much less time which is also one of my key criticisms of Midsommar. Does this film need two and a half hours to tell this story? Several very slow scenes where you know exactly what’s about to happen anyway (example, the cliff scene) suggest no.

To kick this off let me just say I know Midsommar is a ‘companion’ film to Hereditary, which I haven’t seen. Maybe I would have got Midsommar a bit more if I had, I will get around to watching Hereditary at some point but probably not some time soon.

Now, just because I don’t love this movie doesn’t mean I hate it. I don’t. There’s plenty to like. A big aspect of the praise for this film comes from the acting and cinematography, both of which I totally agree are the film’s highlights. Florence Pugh is a star who’s only due to rise higher and higher and she proves it in this movie. There’s not a bad actor in the cast. They all carry off their parts (ambiguous as some of them are but I’ll get to that) really effectively and the relationships between the core group of characters really do carry through the drama and conflict through the first and second acts.

The cinematography and choice to have the film take place nearly exclusively in the daylight is also really creative. There’s no denying this film is a slow burn but turning the horrors we do see on screen away from the darkness we usually see in horror and making them clearly visible in the light of day is a bold move and one I really liked. The set of the commune is also beautiful and the nature imagery and special effects tied in with Dani’s development in a really interesting way.

However, for all these strengths, I also had some major issues with this film. Most of which are plot-based. I’ve already mentioned the run-time so we’ll start there – although this does mean we’re going to be starting with the end (though we’ll be getting there much quicker than the movie).

The Slow Burn with Little Pay-Off

One of the key issues I have with this film was the climax and ending. The character development throughout had felt like it was really building up to a powerful moment for Dani, especially since she had literally been granted power over others for the first time in the film by being declared The May Queen.

Now, to properly explore the core problem I have with the ending I have to talk about the scene I want to think about the least so bear (no pun intended) with me here. Both Dani and Christian, the two of the original gang left standing, take some hallucinogenic liquid towards the end of the film. We see elements of its effects on Dani with the CGI of nature around her but we don’t totally see how it affects Christian. His pupils become really diluted so we know it’s taken hold of him but we don’t know quite how much it’s affecting his inhibitions. This means that when he has sex with Maja in that deeply uncomfortable mating ritual scene we have no idea whether it was a conscious decision to cheat on Dani or not.

All the way through the film we know he and Dani have an unstable relationship so it’s not beyond the realms of reason to think maybe he does choose to have sex with Maja purely due to his frustration over his relationship with Dani or even to ‘acclimatise’ himself more with the culture for the sake of his thesis. If this is a choice he’s made then it takes his lack of care for Dani to a whole new low and does somewhat justify his end to the viewers. I’m obviously not saying cheaters should be paralysed and burnt to death but it gives a sense of closure in a revenge narrative. However, if the drugs they’ve taken have rendered their decision-making ability non-existent then this changes the whole ending, both for the fates of Christian and Dani.

If Christian never intended to cheat on Dani and only did so because he was high this makes the cult itself even creepier and more disturbing and makes his death at the end even crueler. However, it also doesn’t give him any autonomy in his ending which, sure, maybe that’s what Ari was going for but let’s remember Dani took the same drink so what does this mean for her?

Well, if she was high through the whole of the third act and beyond the point of rationalising her decisions based on everything that’s come before, this kind of suggests her making the choice to have Christian killed isn’t really her choice and therefore has nothing to do with her own character development. Considering there is so much set-up at the start of the movie over establishing her trauma, it would be really disappointing to assume that Christian and Dani had no control over the key choices they both made to bring the film to its ending. Unfortunately, we’re never really clearly led to either one conclusion, which brings me to my next point.

The Ambiguity Problem

There is definitely a case to be made for ambiguity in stories. Sometimes having aspects of a story left to your viewer’s imagination at the end can be really interesting but too much ambiguity and you just leave people confused. Here’s an example of a big overhanging question that Midsommar left me with at the end of the film:

Did the cult plan the whole thing?

There are quite a few plot points that suggest the cult wanted to make Dani one of them e.g. the way Pele treats her and his being so keen for her to come to the cult and feel ‘held’ and the fact that she even becomes the May Queen in the first place – she didn’t even know the dance they were all doing at the start so could the other girls have let her win?

Equally, there are also a few plot points that suggests it was all a fluke and the community only changed their mind about sacrificing Dani after she became the May Queen e.g. she wasn’t even supposed to come on the trip at first. Pele didn’t actually invite her, we don’t see him try to convince Christian to bring her at all and, Pele aside, none of the other people in the cult treat her any differently from the others before they kill them. There’s nothing to suggest she’s any kind of chosen one beyond winning a competition that she seemed really unlikely to win.

But, why does this matter? It certainly changes the whole plot’s axis depending on which side you sit on but honestly maybe I’m being too hard on the film for this one. It’s the swinging pendulum I can’t get on with. They either planned it all or not, why is there evidence suggesting both options?

The Blink and You Miss It Subplots

The foreshadowing in this film is, at times, really bizarre. There are some points of really clear foreshadowing which helps the plot move forward e.g. the tapesty depicting the love potion and the random bear in the cage. However, there are also some odd moments that don’t go anywhere. Take, for instance, Pele’s backstory.

The only thing we really know about Pele is that his parents ‘died in a fire’ which gives him the chance to empathise somewhat with Dani’s situation. The fire thing is obviously an element of foreshadowing for the ending but his parents couldn’t have died in the last sacrifice if that was 90 years ago, the figures just don’t add up. What was the point of this foreshadowing then? If it had nothing to do with the actual sacrificial burnings, why even suggest they died that way? There are other ways of giving Pele a connection to Dani other than confusing foreshadowing that doesn’t go anywhere.

I also want to quickly touch on the oracle a second because what was the point of that? It’s a plot point that feels like it’s building up to something but it doesn’t. The idea of having a religion and mythology that is constantly expanding is a really interesting concept but it’s just never actually tied back into the story. Even the book going missing seems like a pointless detail. Was that just supposed to make Dani and Christian not worry about the missing Josh and Mark because somehow that worked on them, which, you know, is weird in itself. It would have been great to get to know more about the actual religion and belief system that led them to these sacrifices every 90 years other than leaving it as ‘well, they’re Pagans so…’, as if your average Pagan on the street goes around with sacrificial knives in their back pocket and has their local cult’s one outside line on speed-dial. Give some more explanation, please.

I really didn’t mean for this to get so essay-length. Maybe Ari Aster and I have something in common when it comes to making things that are maybe too long for their own good. Ultimately, for me, this film had everything going for it except a working plot with a good pay-off, too much ambiguity and random details thrown in that didn’t matter.

…I kinda miss The Wicker Man (1973 obvs!)

Posted in Theatre

The House on Cold Hill Play Review

Posted on by Georgia Haze

The House on Cold Hill is a play based on a novel by Peter James currently touring the UK. The story follows a young family as they settle into their very old new home, the ominously named “Cold Hill House”, not knowing that the house is haunted. There’s a psychic, a séance, a priest who refuses to perform an exorcism and an Amazon Alexa with a mind of its own. That’s the jist anyway.

            Overall I didn’t really enjoy this show. The dialogue was ok but the lines given to the teenage girl made her sound more like a caricature than a real living, breathing 21st century teen. Or, you could say, she sounded just like how a middle-aged man might imagine a 16-year-old of 2019 might talk. The plot itself wasn’t all that compelling either, I think ghost stories in general are usually quite predictable and this show served as a reminder of that for me.

            There were also a few odd moments where it would seem they were hinting at some information that would come in handy later but then there would be no pay-off. Unlike most stories where if something seems like foreshadowing it probably is, in this story, it’s mostly not. Who was the mystery other bidder on the house? Who knows and don’t worry it’s not important because it won’t come up again. Why is the family’s techie friend repeatedly warning them against using an obvious Wi-Fi password in this scene? Forget it, it’s not important.

            There were moments of true potential with this show. The use of the technology with the Alexa and laptop playing up in a ghostly way was fairly spooky and could have given this show a really unique modern twist on the classic haunted ghost narrative but they didn’t use this enough for it to feel important. There was a moment when the whole family managed to convince themselves their techie friend who also happened to be obsessed with ghosts was behind their Alexa’s creepy messages despite the fact two of out of the three family members had themselves come face-to-face with the ghost at this point.

            The tour is nearly finished anyway but I think it’s fairly obvious this isn’t a show I’d really recommend. I think if you like a simple ghost story with the odd laugh and you’re not too bothered about originality then go for it. It’s not something I’d be rushing back to see again though. There’s a different Hill House that I find much more interesting and I can watch that from the comfort of my home (and behind a pillow) on Netflix instead.

Posted in Theatre

Hadestown First Listen & Reaction

Posted on by Georgia Haze

I don’t know where Hadestown came from but it seems like suddenly it’s everywhere. And everyone loves it. So, I did a bit of Googling to figure out the background of the show before going into my first listen of the 2017 cast recording. Turns out it’s a musical based on a concept album by Anaïs Mitchell from 2010 that has since had a few small runs and a live cast recording and was even on at the National Theatre recently (I’m so mad I didn’t go and see it because, spoiler, I’m now obsessed with Hadestown) before making its way to Broadway with an amazing cast.

            But, what’s the story? Hadestown is a modern/modern-feeling retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. If you don’t want anymore Hadestown spoilers, I’d stop here because I’m about to have a natter about Greek mythology and the show itself now so will probably spoil the ending for you.

            Are you ready for a slightly-random-and-kind-of-unrelated-but-actually-kind-of-is-related anecdote? I sure do hope so, because you’re getting one. About two weeks ago I knew very little about Greek mythology. That was before I stumbled upon a copy of Mythos. Mythos is essentially a book of Greek myths retold in a comedic style by Stephen Fry. It’s great, I’d definitely recommend it and I’ve already started his second book on Greek mythology, Heroes. But, honestly, I have no idea why I bought Mythos. It’s not the kind of thing I’d normally pick up. It’s not a novel and I don’t really read short story collections or anything similar but something made me really want to read it. As I said, I’m glad I did because I loved it and now have a new-found love and appreciation for Greek mythology.

            Naturally then, when I found out Hadestown, as the title suggests, had a link to Greek mythology, I was keen to start listening. So I did. I listened to the first song of the live recording and… I didn’t really like it.

            Here’s the issue I had. I’m not a big fan of jazz, it’s just not my thing and that first number (Road to Hell) is very jazzy and bluesy. I really wanted to like it but it just didn’t click with me on first listen so I stopped and that was it for a couple of days. But, then I saw Amy Lovatt (a theatre YouTuber who makes brilliant videos so if you don’t watch her, you should!) did a cover of All I’ve Ever Known and it didn’t sound jazzy at all. It just sounded nice. So I decided to give it another try.

            Livin’ It Up on Top was more fun to me and I love Amber Gray from the Great Comet cast album so I enjoyed that song but it wasn’t until I listened to All I’ve Ever Known that I fell properly head-over-heels-and-walk-right-into-the-Underworld-just-to-get-tickets in love with a Hadestown song. It’s just beautiful. I have nothing else to say. I just love it and have listened to it on repeat several times.

            I’m not going to go over every song in this live recording especially since it’s so fresh in my mind but here are a few further initial thoughts:

  • Amber Gray is amazing and I love her voice so much, please God may I see her live one day?!
  • I love chantey numbers in musicals and there’s literally a song called “Chant” so of course it’s one of ,my faves!
  • Damn Patrick Page’s voice goes low in Songbird, I hope he has some throat sweets back stage with him on Broadway.
  • Wait For Me is beautiful ahhhhhh and I can’t wait for the new cast recording so I can listen to the new lyrics ahhhhhh
  • Ow my heart hurts. Orpheus, why? You literally had one job. Even if she didn’t follow you out you were getting out of Hades anyway, why did you turn around?!
  • Hermes getting sad at having to sing the tragedy over again in Road to Hell II is almost more painful than when Orpheus looks back.
  • Maybe I do like a bit of jazz and blues after all…

I just want to go way down way down to Hadestown (not literally, I think I learnt the lesson) and see this show. Why I didn’t go and see it at the National Theatre I don’t know but maybe the Broadway hype will bring it back over here soon. I did look into the cost of tickets to see it on Broadway and they were literally the same price as the flight to New York so might just park that idea for now.

ANYWAYS, the moral is listen to Hadestown. And read Mythos. Bye for now!

Posted in Theatre

Three Mini West End Reviews: Aladdin, Wicked and Waitress

Posted on by Georgia Haze

I’ve seen a few West End shows lately so I wanted to group them all into one post and natter away about them for a little bit. Wicked is the only one of these shows I’d seen before and the Waitress tickets were a birthday surprise for my sister because I am, clearly, the best sister ever.

Overall, I thought Aladdin was bright, fun and colourful. The changes they’d made from the Disney’s animated movie (side note, even though I’m a bit over the Disney live action remakes, I am quite excited about the Aladdin movie, anyone else?) made sense and for the most part worked well. There are no animals in the show but Aladdin actually gets some real friends which is good for him. The new songs are nice but it’s the ones that come from the film that really have the entertainment factor, particularly the high-energy and genuinely spectacular Friend Like Me scene. Trevor Dion Nicholas is hilarious as the Genie, his comedic timing and stage presence lights up the stage almost as much as his glittery head.

           The World New World scene was also executed nicely even if the actors did look a little scared to be floating around the stage on a “flying carpet”. The main criticism I have for the show, however, is the way they’ve worked Jafar and Iago into the stage show. As I said, there are no animals in the show so how do they get Iago in there? Well, he’s Jafar’s pretty annoying pantomime-esque sidekick. Sure, Aladdin is a pantomime classic and Jafar is widely considered to be one of Disney’s best villains but it felt a bit too over-the-top for me. I guess, maybe I’d feel different if I’d been to see the show with kids because that, for sure, would work for them. But, not for me and considering how many adults there were in the audience, it just felt a bit much.

           Stepping away from the negatives though, this show is lively and, like I said, oh so colourful and visually spectacular. Fans of Disney will love it, families will love it, everyone else will probably enjoy it too.

How can I see it?

Aladdin is showing at the Prince Edward Theatre and booking through to July 27th (it will be closing in the coming months though so if you’re keen on seeing it, make sure you get tickets soon!)

This wasn’t my first trip to the Emerald City. Seeing Wicked again was a bit of nostalgia fest since it was the first show I ever saw on the West End back in 2014 and is now the only London show I’ve seen twice (though there are quite a few I’m desperate to see again).

           Every musical fan seems to love Wicked, there’s something about it that just transports you into a magical realm where people can say slightly cringey non-words like “braverism” without anyone batting an eyelid. What I found most exciting about seeing it again was 1. Re-realising how funny it is and 2. Getting to see the amazing cast that is currently in the show. Alice Fearn as Elphaba and Sophie Evans as Glinda are brilliant and great when they perform together.

We were sat very far back right up at the top of the dress circle but you forget you’re so far back because the belting is so damn powerful and you get a great view of the random but awesome dragon at the top of the stage.

           Whether you have or haven’t seen Wicked on the West End yet, the cheap seats at the top do actually have quite a good view so I think you should treat yourself this summer if you can.

How can I see it?

Wicked is showing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and booking until May 2020.

I was so excited to see Waitress and it didn’t disappoint at all. It’s funny, moving and inspiring. The cast were fantastic. Katherine McPhee had such a long applause after She Used to Be Mine and rightfully so because her performance was so heart-wrenching. She was just amazing. So were her co-stars, Laura Baldwin as Dawn (who was also fab in Eugenius last year) and Charlotte Raby (who was understudying for Marisha Wallace) as Becky. Their friendship felt real to me and it was so great to see a show so focused on women’s issues and humour relating to what it’s like being a woman. I already knew I loved the songs but I didn’t realise how much I’d love the book and choreography as well. Also, I did not know how awkward and adorable Dr Pomatter is from just the songs. David Hunter was hilarious and played the lovable doctor really well.

            I got too much merch – including a Waitress cookbook even though I rarely bake but I appreciate clever merch and I’m far too tigger-happy when it comes to buying things I don’t need so I got it – and obvs bought a pie there which came in a cute little jar.

            Everything about this show was brilliant, I feel like I was grinning the whole way through. I’d recommend it to everyone I know. I feel like I’m probably as enthusiastic about this show as Ogie is about Dawn… maybe… if that’s even possible. Just, if you can, go and see it. It makes for a great feel-good evening.

How can I see it?

Waitress is showing at the Adelphi Theatre and booking through to October 19th. Go see it!

Let me know if you’ve seen any great shows lately. I already have a long list of shows to see but I’m constantly extending it anyway so feel free to give me recommendations! 😀

Posted in Theatre

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording Act 2 Mini Song Reviews

Posted on by Georgia Haze

This is the second part of my last blog post where I wrote mini reviews of each song from Act One of the Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording so make sure to check that out before taking a look at these Act two Reviews.

My Dead Gay Son

Honestly, this isn’t my favourite song on the original American cast album but it is quite funny and I like that it gives Nathan Amzi and Jon Boydon a chance to show their amazing comedic skills and great voices on the album.

Seventeen

More of Carrie and Jamie’s vocals together? Yes please! Again, I actually wouldn’t count Seventeen up there amongst my favourite Heathers songs but I am a big fan of both Carrie and Jamie’s voices (and Barrett Wilbert Weed and Ryan McCartan’s too!) so this is definitely nice to listen to.

Shine a Light

When I saw the show this scene was a particular highlight. The wacky nature of Rebecca Lock’s Ms Fleming and the audience interaction were fantastic. It’s a shame that the audience interaction can’t translate into the album but this song is upbeat and hilarious regardless. Love it!

Lifeboat

Anyone just want to hug McNamara when listening to this song? Sophie Isaacs has a lovely voice so it’s nice that we get her sing on her own solo. I feel like this song can feel quite relatable to many people in school and the violins (please correct me if they’re not violins!) in the music make this sound even more haunting and poignant.

Sine a Light (Reprise)

Yikes, don’t get on Duke’s bad side!

I Say No

NEW SONG Number #3! This is the only song on the album that wasn’t in the show when I saw it and I’m so sad I never got to see this performed live because since its release as a single, it’s my new favourite song! I’ve watched Carrie’s YouTube videos for a long and seen her do a lot of covers so hearing how incredible her voice sounds in this song is weirdly moving. It just feels like she’s come so far to carry a song this big with so much confidence and attack. This is also a great song for anyone in a bad situation to listen to, there’s so much power in saying no sometimes and we should never forget that.

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cats Reocridng Act Two Mini Song Reviews
What the Heathers the Musical stage looked like when I saw it at The Other Palace

Kindergarten Boyfriend

I’m not crying, you are. This was another scene that stuck out to me when I saw the show as I knew it would from having listened to the original American cast recording. Jenny O’Leary brings so much innocence to the role and her voice is so soft and sweet-sounding that it just suits Martha so well. Again, there aren’t any wild changes from the original but I’d have been really disappointed if there had been, this song is gorgeous and heartbreaking as is and it’s just great to get to see a recording of another singer’s take on it (that’s not to Katie Ladner’s version is subpar in any way, it is equally as stunning).

Yo Girl

I like the inclusion of the “that’s not my handwriting” line, Veronica sounds honestly terrified at this point. Which she probably would be, you know, considering her murderous ex-boyfriend has as-good-as told her she’s his next victim.

Meant to by Yours

Need I say again just how much I love Jamie Muscato’s voice?? This is one of my favourites on the original cast album but I think this version might have overtaken it. Gahh I just love it so so much.

Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)

I’m fan of the “Don’t talk about my mom” line, it seems to give JD a weakness we don’t hear in the original cast album. I also love Carrie’s “yeahyeahyeahhh” in this song.

I Am Damaged

“Please stand back now… little further”, I don’t know why this line always cracks me up but it does. That’s all.

Seventeen (Reprise)

I love this number in the OG recording and I love it in this one. It’s a sweet number that rounds off the show perfectly, or you could say beautifully! Just one thing I wanted to comment on though, I’m glad they changed the “take off our clothes and dance” line to “take off our shoes and dance”, the old lyric just felt a bit sexual and out-of-place for a song that’s about embracing youth and favouring friendship over hatred.

That’s it, that’s my review of the Heathersthe Musical Original West End Cast Recording. I hope you enjoyed my thoughtsand ramblings. Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s show is a hilarious satirethat never loses its significance even now, over 30 years since the originalfilm was released. Let’s all just hope Heathers will return to London one day.

Bye for now!

Posted in Theatre

Heathers the Musical Original West End Cast Recording Act 1 Mini Song Reviews

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Greetings and salutations!

I was lucky enough to see Heathers during its run at The Other Palace, one of my favourite venues. Its small space makes it feel intimate yet the productions still feel high quality which means you always get great value for money on your ticket price. I was a bit gutted I didn’t get around to seeing it at the Haymarket (I’ve got to give my bank balance a break sometimes!). Sadly, I never got to see Carrie Hope Fletcher belt out I Say No but luckily they released a cast album so I can hear her take on Veronica whenever I like as well as the rest of the amazing original West End Heathers cast!

Here are my reviews of the songs from Act One:

Beautiful

From “September 1st 1989” straight through to that last note, I was buzzing listening to this. It’s very like the original American cast recording but it’s the introduction to the show so it makes sense for it to be the same with a few differences here and there. It’s also the first time we hear a few of the cast members’ individual vocals (which are fab!) and the ensemble singing together (also fab!).

Candy Store

Yessssss galsss, this song is just as feisty as the original American Heathers take on it and Jodie, T’Shan and Sophie’s harmonies are gorgeous. I honestly think I’d be honoured if Jodie Steele threatened me in song.

Fight For Me

Firstly, Carrie Hope Fletcher’s “daaayyuuumm” is hilarious and how her voice sounds so soft and hopeful (no pun intended) in this song suits the theme of the song so well, I love it!

Freeze Your Brain

Oh my Lord. I think I did a Carrie daaayyuuumm the first time I listened to this. Jamie Muscato’s voice is so so so smooth. I also feel like he made this song totally his own. To me at least (baring in mind I have little-to-no actual music knowledge), the way he sings this song is totally different to Ryan McCartan on the original cast recording. It’s more smooth and feels more like he’s being a bit flirty with Veronica as he’s singing which totally makes sense for the scene. And, somehow his voice STILL sounds smooth as hell when he’s singing the harsher end of the song and his last “freeze your brain” line is so… am I going to say it again?… apparently yes, for lack of a better word, smooth. The whole damn song is smooth ok. This is one of my favs from this album so sorry but I just needed to get this ramble of me.

Big Fun

~ Do I hear lyric changes? ~ “You’re a natural, just like my mom”, had me cackling. I very much approve of this new version of Big Fun.

Dead Girl Walking

Ok, so what I was saying about how The Other Palace is a small and intimate venue… yeah I felt *very* close to the actors when this scene was happening which was a… unique theatre experience let’s just say! Again, this song is fairly similar to the original but hey, you can’t improve on perfection and I like the way Carrie changes the way she sings certain parts – especially that last note. This song really reminds me of the confidence Carrie oozed on the stage in this number and the cheer from the audience which was LOUD so this one evokes memories for me.

Pictures from outside The Other Palace on the day I saw Heathers the Musical

The Me Inside of Me

The transition from Jodie’s “No one sees the me inside of me” to “Jesus, you’re making me sound like air supply” was hilarious, what a comedy queen. Also, did Ms Fleming really say, “What this song needs is a good old-fashioned rap session”? Because, I really hope so. Might just leave this one with “HOLY CRAP THIS IS AWESOME!” because, yep, same Jodie.

You’re Welcome

NEW SONG #1! Ok, so I can’t help thinking of Maui when I listen to this song but honestly I love Christopher Chung and Dominic Anderson’s vocals together in this song and, this might be a bit random, but I also love their accents in this one for some reason. They just sound so much like your classic American high school movie jocks. This is one of those songs where it makes you feel slightly uncomfortable but it’s meant to since it’s actually about a really important topic. It’s great to hear Veronica’s thought process about how she handles the situation and manages to get away. Combining comedy with genuinely serious topics is something Heathers does better than most stories and this song is a great example of that.

Never Shut Up Again

NEW SONG #2! We’ve reached the new song relay part of the album and this is when T’Shan and her fierce vocals get to rock out as the new self-elected head bitch of the school. It’s great to see Duke getting a solo in this version of Heathers as we see from both Chandler and McNamara’s points of view and it doesn’t seem right that she didn’t have her own song before. Plus, it totally makes sense that Duke would want to take the limelight for a moment as she finally has a voice after being silenced by Chandler for so long. Although, again, bit of a random thought here, but a lot of musicals make Wizard of Oz references, don’t they?

Our Love Is God

I mean, this song has a lot of Jamie’s Muscato’s vocals and we’ve established how I feel about that (should I say they’re smooth again or have we sort of got that point now?). This is the first time we really hear Carrie and Jamie properly sing together though and their voices blend so nicely it’s just so daaayyuuumm good. This song is also quite similar to the original but again, it’s a great song and scene so why change it?

Phew that’s Act one Done, read my reviews of the songs of Act Two here.