HEATHERS: The Musical is a dark comedy, reimagining the 1980s cult classic film by Daniel Waters, which explores themes of teenage angst, bullying, and the destructive power of popularity.

The show tells the story of Veronica Sawyer, a ‘damaged’ Westerberg high-school pupil who is dragged into a popular social group called ‘Heathers’, consisting of three girls, all (no surprise) called Heather. But she soon realises the ruthlessness involved in becoming a Heather and begins to dream of escaping.

When she meets the enigmatic JD, their twisted plan to overthrow the tyrannical trio takes a sinister turn, leading to a series of shocking events.

The musical is a rollercoaster of emotions, blending humour, satire, and tragedy with a pop-rock score that will have you humming along. The music is very catchy and well-written, with no particular standout anthem but all cleverly thought-provoking.

The performances are energetic and captivating, with standout roles for Veronica and JD. May Tether stepped into the role of Veronica with incredible enthusiasm and quality while Keelan Mcauley’s depiction of an angst-ridden teenager with daddy issues were chillingly real.

The cast is made up of talented young actors who bring their characters to life in a funny, believable and engaging way with many clever moments, supported by a transformative set design.

The Heathers Queen Bee, played by Esme Bowdler, is suitably domineering, with her partners in crime Sedona Sky and Daisy Twells typically bitchy with Ivan Fernandez Gonzalez and Jason Battersby your stereotypical dopey jocks, spending a majority of their time on stage in just their Y-fronts…..

Yet despite its dark humour many may find the subject matter too dark or disturbing, with the show's glorification of violence a tad unsettling at times, with regular gasps especially in one scene which I was interested to earwig the reactions of some of the teenage theatre-goers as they walked out of the auditorium.

But it is a bold and provocative show that really pushes the fine lines of what is considered acceptable in musical theatre, with the 1989 setting seemingly a free ticket to use language and phrases we would nowadays deem inappropriate - so you have been warned.

On a night where we celebrated the failed Gunpowder plot of 1605 with bonfires and fireworks, the date seemed somewhat fitting for the content of the show, and as we left, with the grand theatre lit up resplendently clever in the colours of the Heathers it was time to take a breath and process.

Heathers the Musical is at the Princess Theatre, Torquay until Saturday, November 9.