Mean Girls Hits the West End: A First Look at the Iconic Stage Adaptation
London’s Savoy Theatre is abuzz with excitement as the stage adaptation of the iconic film ‘Mean Girls’ prepares for its official opening night. Based on the beloved Lindsay Lohan-led movie, the musical brings the high school drama to life on the West End stage.
The story follows Cady Heron, a teenager who moves back to the United States and discovers the harsh realities of high school. The stage version of ‘Mean Girls’ first premiered in Washington in 2017 before transferring to Broadway in 2018. Written by Tina Fey, with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, the musical retains many of the original film’s famous quotes and introduces catchy songs such as ‘Meet the Plastics,’ ‘Apex Predator,’ and ‘Revenge Party.’ The production is directed by Casey Nicholaw, known for his work on ‘The Book of Mormon’ and ‘Aladdin.’
The West End cast features Charlie Burn (Les Misérables) as Cady, Georgina Castle (Dirty Dancing, Elf the Musical) as Regina, Elèna Gyasi (Six) as Gretchen, Grace Mouat (The Great British Bake Off Musical) as Karen, Elena Skye (Les Misérables, Kinky Boots) as Janis, and Tom Xander (The Book of Mormon) as Damian. Daniel Bravo takes on the role of Aaron Samuels, with Lucca Chadwick-Patel as Kevin Ganatra, and Ako Mitchell as North Shore Principal Mr. Duvall. Zoë Rainey plays Ms. Norbury, originally portrayed by Fey in the 2004 film, as well as the roles of Mrs. George and Ms. Heron.
The ensemble cast includes Tia Antoine-Charles, Georgia Arron, Liam Buckland, Shonah Buwu, Baylie Carson, Freddie Clements, Siobhan Diffin, Clíona Flynn, Fergie Fraser, Angus Good, Jenny Huxley-Golden, Holly Liburd, Corey Mitchell, Mervin Noronha, Aharon Rayner, Trézel Sergeant, Josh Singleton, Annie Southall, Lillia Squires, Tommy Wade-Smith, and Holly Willock.
‘Mean Girls’ centers on Cady Heron, a home-schooled teenager who must learn to navigate North Shore High School and its formidable clique, The Plastics—Regina, Gretchen, and Karen. Cady’s plan to dethrone Regina backfires, teaching her the painful lesson that crossing a queen bee comes with consequences.
Check out the video below to hear Charlie Burn, Georgina Castle, Elèna Gyasi, Grace Mouat, Elena Skye, Tom Xander, Daniel Bravo, Lucca Chadwick-Patel, Ako Mitchell, and Zoë Rainey discuss the highly anticipated show.
Photo Credit: © Brinkhoff / Moegenburg
