REVIEW: Heathers - HOTA

Heathers: The Musical

Producers: Bill Kenwright Limited, Paul Taylor-Mills, and GMG Productions

Music, Book & Lyrics: Kevin Murphy / Laurence O’Keefe

Venue: HOTA, Home of the Arts

Date Attended: 2 August 2026

Director: Andy Fickman

Choreographer & UK Associate Director: Gary Lloyd

Musical Supervisor: Will Joy

Musical Director: Martine Wengrow

Set & Costume Designer: David Shields

Lighting Designer: Ben Cracknell

Sound Designer: Dan Samson

Photography: Cameron Grant

"We're all damaged, we're all frightened, we're all freaks, but that's all right. We'll endure it, we'll survive it."

Heathers remains firmly planted in my top ten musicals, and every production I’ve seen has found a fresh twist within Westerberg High. The score absolutely rips, the body count is alarming for a high-school story, and this 2026 AusNZ touring production understands something I particularly love about the material: beneath the murder, social warfare, and spectacularly inappropriate jokes, these characters are still just hormone-fuelled teenagers trying to survive high school.

Based on the cult 1988 flick, Heathers follows Veronica Sawyer (Emma Caporaso), a high-school wallflower who suddenly finds herself invited into Westerberg’s ruling mean-girl trio, the Heathers. Popularity quickly proves less appealing when it means participating in their casual cruelty. The arrival of mysterious new student Jason “J.D.” Dean (Conor Beaumont) offers Veronica a possible way out. Unfortunately, J.D.’s solution to high-school bullies is a bit more, shall we say, ‘permanent’ than what Veronica had in mind...

The audience at Home of the Arts (HOTA) was absolutely primed for this show. Huge cheers erupted throughout the score, laughs landed constantly, and familiar lines were greeted with the excitement of a crowd that knew exactly what was coming. Yet this cast regularly makes those lines sound new, finding different pauses, reactions, physical choices, and tiny inflections rather than leaning on familiar interpretations.

Emma Caporaso is an immediate example, making her professional musical theatre debut as Veronica. (Sorry... what?!) Petite, dorky, awkward, and enormously likeable, she never seems too ‘good’ for Westerberg. This is a teenager desperately trying to navigate a social system she understands intellectually but is nowhere near equipped to survive emotionally. She’s also very, very funny! Her blunt delivery became one of my favourite recurring pleasures of the night, particularly when Veronica’s mouth is several steps ahead of her brain. Even better is the way she retains that awkward adolescent quality through the darker material. “Dead Girl Walking” doesn’t transform her into some sudden seductress. Veronica is tipsy, impulsive, horny, nervous, and making an absolutely chaotic teenage decision, with Caporaso filling the number with funny little character choices. Caporaso absolutely attacks the vocals in “I Say No” (probably my favourite number of the performance).

That chemistry works beautifully with Conor Beaumont. His J.D. initially comes across as a believably enigmatic kid beneath the trench coat and swagger. “Freeze Your Brain” is terrific, giving Beaumont space to establish the character before we realise just how deep his issues run. Meanwhile, Veronica practically undresses him with her eyes from the sidelines. As the story darkens, so does Beaumont. “Our Love Is God” becomes an especially effective turning point. The staging tightens around the pair, culminating in a chilling spotlight moment that marks the point where Veronica can no longer romanticise what is happening. By “Meant to Be Yours”, J.D.’s physicality has become genuinely frightening, with Beaumont spitting and striking himself as the character unravels.

Their size difference also gives the relationship an interesting physical dynamic. During “Seventeen”, Beaumont can wrap himself around Caporaso from behind in a way that reads as both romantic and subtly dominant, suiting a relationship where tenderness and control have become increasingly difficult to separate. I was therefore surprised by how visually bare the number was. In a production where Ben Cracknell’s lighting is otherwise so sharp and purposeful, “Seventeen” seems unusually under-designed.

Of course, Westerberg is nothing without its ruling class. Calista Nelmes makes Heather Chandler an imposing figure before she even speaks. I loved her piercing stare and permanently judgemental expression, and David Shields’ two-level set frequently positions Chandler above everyone else, quite literally allowing her to survey her kingdom. Then comes “Candy Store”. Those riffs. Those harmonies. The choreography is crisp and recognisably Heathers without feeling recycled, something that continues throughout Gary Lloyd’s work. The blocking is excellent too, constantly finding clever uses for levels, bodies, and sightlines. Nelmes becomes even more entertaining following Chandler’s unfortunate demise (killer work, literally), hovering over Veronica with gleeful malice as her influence refuses to die with her.

At this performance, cover Thalia Osegueda Santos stepped into the role of Heather Duke. “Never Shut Up Again” features some of my favourite choreography of the night from the ensemble and Santos' powerhouse voice. Abigail Sharp as Heather McNamara exposes what sits underneath that hierarchy. “Lifeboat” strips away the perfect yellow exterior and reveals the panic underneath. Mel O’Brien brings a similar softness to Martha Dunnstock, a sweet soul almost impossibly innocent for Westerberg. “Kindergarten Boyfriend” is sweet and sad as hell. Martha seems less in love with Ram himself than with the idea of love, connection, and finally being chosen by somebody.

Nic Van Lits’ Kurt Kelly and David Cuny’s Ram Sweeney go in quite a different direction. These two are complete goobers. Their stupidity is enormous, physical, and proudly unsubtle, perfectly resembling teenage boys showing off for no one but each other. Van Lits’ slow-motion sequence during “Fight for Me” is particularly brilliant, while “You’re Welcome” shows off some seriously agile physical work (along with impressively coordinated bouncing pecs). Theatre is a broad art form folks...

Casting Ellis Dolan and Brodie Masini as Ram and Kurt’s respective fathers makes the generational resemblance even funnier. The dads are essentially older versions of their sons, which gives the already brilliant “My Dead Gay Son” another layer. Zoe Gertz also receives her shining moment as Ms Fleming in “Shine a Light”. It’s gloriously theatrical, with one particularly good sport in the second row briefly recruited into the madness at Westerberg and handling his unexpected participation perfectly.

Across the production, the ensemble makes the school itself feel alive. Individual character work continues in the background, the group vocals are mighty, and the movement is precise. The choreography and Andy Fickman’s direction keep finding new comic details throughout. Most importantly, humour continues trickling through the heaviest moments without making the characters’ pain meaningless. These are kids making catastrophic decisions while trying to be loved, admired, protected, or simply noticed.

And that ending... Chills! After watching Westerberg divide itself into winners and losers, queens and nobodies, bullies and victims, suddenly they’re all just kids again. Damaged, scared, messy, and trying to survive high school together. Underneath the red scrunchie is something surprisingly hopeful about growing up, screwing up, and surviving it.

Dear diary... I believe there’s good in everyone.