MUSICAL REVIEW: Clueless ★★

Based on the film of the same name, in turn inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless has recently opened at the Trafalgar Theatre. It follows Beverley Hills teen, Cher, as she and her friend Dionne endeavour to do good deeds for others, for the benefit of themselves. Things don’t go quite to plan though when new girl Tai joins the school and Cher picks her as her new project. Rachel Kavanaugh directs a production that is deeply enjoyable but heavily flawed.

KT Tunstall’s music accomplishes a 90s sound which pulsates the music and it and Glenn Slater’s lyrics succeed at carrying the plot forward most of the run time, occasionally faltering in the placement of songs and their tone. The story posits Cher so predominately at the forefront, for good cause, meaning when the numbers turn to position other characters here, it’s disjunct because the angle from which we are viewing the events is not congruent, an example being Josh’s act one song, Human Barbies. That’s not to say the other characters can’t sing, but the world should not turn to side with their focus.

The adaptation of their own screenplay here by Amy Heckerling rushes a lot of the comedy found in the characterisations and little quips in the film, also skipping over too many of the characters and plot points, meaning we never buy into the piece as much as we should.

Rachel Kavanaugh’s direction lacks any creativity, leaving a piece with an unresistable tone, but is incredibly bland when you look underneath. It’s crying out for a larger stage, going some of the way to solve this, but the set by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams leaves a lot to be desired for, suggesting some issues are inherent.

Emma Flynn is utterly exceptional as Cher. They don’t impersonate Alicia Silverstone’s Cher and bring an outstanding voice and a characterisation that makes her ease out through their entire persona! Aoife Kenny played Dionne at my performance and in a subdued way that made them intriguingly less outlandish. Imelda Warren-Green does excellent comedic work alternating between several characters.