Based on the 1988 film of the same name, Heathers: The Musical has finally landed at the Roslyn Packer Theatre after a triumphant run in Melbourne, Canberra and Western Sydney.
If the opening night’s exuberance from the many dyed-in-the wool “Corn Nuts” (Heathers’ fans) is anything to go by, it will also leave Australia as a bona fide hit. With a body count almost as great as Sweeney Todd, the controversy surrounding Heathers’ morality, or lack of it, remains, but there is no doubting that this musical is a great piece of entertainment.
As pointed to in the show’s program, when Heathers the film was released, there was no social media and school shootings, now a sad norm, were unheard of. What sounded unreal back them has become very real, with bullying and violence now permeating school life around the world.
Set in Westerberg High, the school is under the tyranny of a clique known as the Heathers, being Heather Chandler (Calista Nelmes), Heather McNamara (Abigail Sharp) and Heather Duke (Amelia Rojas). These are Mean Girls writ large.
Into their mix comes Veronica Sawyer (Emma Caporaso), in her first professional role, who dumps her best friend Martha Dunnstock (Mel O’Brien) to join the group when her skills at forging notes becomes useful to them. The pragmatic Veronica claims it is her way of surviving high school, and the now quartet begin a reign of terror in the school.
A tall and smouldering mysterious poetry quoting newbie, Jason ‘JD’ Dean (Conor Beaumont) criticises her for betraying her friend, but wins her admiration when he beats the school jocks, Ram (David Cuny) and Kurt (Nic Van Lits) in a fight, leading to Fight for Me.
Veronica starts to flirt with Jason ‘JD’ Dean at the local 7-Eleven, which introduces the song Brain Freeze. Of course JD turns out to be a psycho, who has learned demolition skills from his father, and has seen his mother killed by one of his explosions.
After a falling out with Heather Chandler, Veronica and JD turn up at her house to deliver a humiliating apology, but end up killing her when JD puts Drano in her Prairie Oyster.
A quickly written suicide note and Chandler becomes mythologised, later to visit Veronica on her dreams where she warns her that she had kept everyone in check, and now the leash was off. This becomes evident when Ram and Kurt attempt to rape Veronica in a cow field.
This leads to Veronica being branded a slut, and results in JD tricking Veronica into helping kill them both, and the bodies are now mounting.
During Act Two other characters come into focus, such as Ram and Kurt’s fathers (Ellis Dolan and Brodie Masini respectively) who claim that their sons’ deaths are due to homophobia, leading to them singing My Dead Gay Son at their joint funerals.
Another well drawn character is Ms Fleming (Zoe Gertz), a teacher who conducts a televised therapy session for the school pupils. Her breakup with an audience member is a memorable moment, leading into Shine a Light.
During Act One it is Nelmes who commands the stage with her captivating looks and striking voice, and one wonders how the show will continue once she is dead. No fears necessary, as in Act Two Caporaso delivers a show stopper with Seventeen, and shows just what fine a voice she has while growing her stage presence.
Equally of great voice is O’Brien when she sings Kindergarten Boyfriend, a song layered with pathos. Cuny and Van Lits, as Ram and Kurt, are well matched as they continually prove their onstage bond with highly engaging physicality. Beaumont’s character of JD is nuanced, as you want him to be one of the cool kids, even as his true intentions slowly become clear.
The other two Heathers, Rojas and Sharp, also making her professional debut, provide great foils for Veronica. They especially come into their own in the show’s final moments when the cast reprise Seventeen, and when Heathers delivers its main message of being kids before childhood is over.
In what are minor but memorable roles of Ram’s dad, Big Bud Dean and Coach Ripper, Dolan shows that he can also own a stage. Across this large production director Andy Frickman keeps it moving while highlighting its more poignant moments.
With a cast of nineteen, Heathers:The Musical is an opportunity for big moments, and in this it does not disappoint.
Heathers the Musical
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (Sydney)
Performance: Tuesday 1 September 2026
Season continues to 19 September 2026
Bookings: www.sydneytheatre.com.au
Following the Sydney season, Heathers the Musical will play Perth’s Regal Theatre from 30 September 2026. For more information, visit: www.heathersthemusical.com for details.
Images: Emma Caporaso, Amélia Rojas, Calista Nelmes and Abigail Sharp – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | The Company of Heathers The Musical – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | Emma Caporaso and Conor Beaumont – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | Calista Nelmes, Nic Van Lits, Amélia Rojas, David Cuny and Emma Caporaso – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy | Mel O’Brien and Emma Caporaso – photo by Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
Review: John Moyle