Our Review Of Clueless The Musical: A 90s Knock Out

I’ll admit, initially I found the idea of Clueless: The Musical totally buggin’. As it opened for the first time in London’s West End this February, it marked 30 years since Jane Austin’s Emma was used to create an LA-based 90s rom-com that joined the sweet spot of films pivotal to adolescent growth. Instead of remaining just a film for eternity, during the 21st-century remake resurgence and thirst for all things nostalgic, it joined cult classics Heathers and Mean Girls as a musical.

Prepare to be transported back to the 90s.

DesignMyNight Reviews Clueless: The Musical In London

The film has been adapted by its original writer-director, Amy Heckerling, alongside a modern score by lyricist and Grammy award-winner Glenn Slater and multi-platinum singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, whose aim was to make audiences 'feel like they’re at a gig with all their favourite 90s artists in one show’. Considering my Spotify daylist usually consists of an amalgamation of the words ‘ethereal dreamy 90s afternoon’, I sensed that, before even taking my seat in Trafalgar Theatre, I was going to like it.

If you’ve seen the 1995 classic, then you know the story and will realise that it stays true to its roots: Cher Horowitz (played by the brilliant Emma Flynn in the West End production) is the most popular student at Beverly Hills High and she gets a kick out of playing matchmaker, designer dresses and negotiating grades. She embarks on an ambitious makeover when new kid Tai (Romana Lewis-Malley) arrives, all while hopelessly seducing the Spartacus-obsessed Christian (Isaac J Lewis) before falling in love with her non-related brother Josh (Keelan McAuley).

Clueless: The Musical hit all the right notes. 

What helps propel Clueless immediately off of its feet is not only the uncanny cadence of Alicia Silverstone’s Cher by Flynn (from the ‘as if’s’ to the whining, she was flawless), but the clever set design mimicking the huge, airy house she and her lawyer dad occupy in LA - chandeliers and all. This is where we find Flynn, tucked up in bed before bursting into the song ‘Perfect’, professing she’s totally way normal along to melodic The Cure-style guitars, a chorus tone I’d never thought I’d find in musical theatre.

There’s no denying that all the numbers are catchy - a particular favourite of mine was the very camp ‘Reasonable Doubts’, sung and performed by McAuley. It could’ve been mistaken for something straight off of a Backstreet Boys album if the lyrics didn’t feature tongue-in-cheek law terminology.

The costumes, designed by Paloma Young, were inspired by the original film and contributed a lot to the overall sentimental feel of everyone’s performances, including Dionne’s (Chyna-Rose Frederick) iconic red and black plaid number and her boyfriend’s (Rabi Kondé) ridiculously baggy trousers. The only person who received a slight twist was Elton (Rabi Kondé), who looked like he would have broken hearts on Hinge with his belted wide-leg trousers and boxy shirt.

It's the Powerpuff Girls reinvented.  

While the entire play moved quickly (‘Rollin' With My Homies’ got a mention before the interval, but we still had Cher’s Calvin Klein dress and ‘you’re just a virgin who can’t drive’ to look forward to), I enjoyed the way it treated the audience as though they were being introduced to the story for the first time.

It never pretended to be anything it wasn’t and it didn’t receive the 21st-century makeover a lot of remakes are prone to. I appreciated them keeping the Twin Peaks reference, firmly rooting it in the decade. and the fact that Cher was now saving herself for Keanu Reeves, who, during the 90s, would’ve been peak Keanu, as opposed to Timothee Chalamet or some other heartthrob born from Rat Boy Summer. I left feeling uplifted, silly, and with a strong desire to buy a three-piece suit.

Clueless: The Musical: Overall

Clueless: The Musical came together well; what could’ve been a butchered retelling was an entertaining romp and Emma Flynn shone as Cher. The story clearly still exists as a teenage favourite today as a lot of the audience members were children (some even dressed up like Cher), which I found endearing. With witty lyrics and a feel-good energy, it left me unafraid of failing a driving test, re-introducing way harsh into my vocabulary and hopeful that not all adaptions required an iPhone and at least one person mentioning Instagram.

Discover more of the best theatre in London here.