A sharp, funny and deliciously nostalgic musical that proves, more than two decades later, Mean Girls is still as fetch as ever, and showing at the Royal Concert Hall until this Saturday.
With an award-winning creative powerhouse behind it, including Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon), this musical adaptation breathes new life into the much-loved 2004 film.
The story follows Cady Heron (Emily Lane), a home-schooled teenager swapping the wilds of Kenya for the considerably more savage social hierarchy of an American high school. At North Shore High, she quickly discovers that survival of the fittest has an entirely different meaning, particularly when she encounters The Plastics, a formidable trio ruled by the deliciously manipulative Regina George (Vivian Panka).
What begins as an innocent attempt to dismantle Regina's reign soon sees Cady becoming everything she initially despises. Beneath the outrageous humour and high-school theatrics lies a surprisingly perceptive exploration of how easily our desire for acceptance can erode our individuality.
The ingenious choreography of moving school desks, canteen tables and dinner trays ensures the stage rarely stands still. The entire production pulses with the hormones, insecurities and frantic energy of adolescence
Visually, the production occasionally feels underwhelming, with painted backdrops and relatively sparse scenery lacking the spectacle one might expect from such an exuberant musical. Yet the ingenious choreography of moving school desks, canteen tables and dinner trays ensures the stage rarely stands still. The entire production pulses with the hormones, insecurities and frantic energy of adolescence, whirling us through a year of Halloween disasters, teenage crushes and the gloriously iconic Christmas talent show.
While the musical preserves many of the film's most beloved moments, it also gives greater emotional depth to Regina's loyal sidekicks. Kiara Dario captures Gretchen Wieners's desperate longing for friendship and approval with wonderful comic vulnerability, while Sophie Pourret brings an irresistible confidence to Karen Smith's blissfully uncomplicated understanding of the world.
The ensemble is equally impressive, effortlessly shifting between students, teachers and gender roles, armed with ingenious costume changes, infectious energy and some wonderfully unexpected tricks.
Particularly delightful are Georgie Buckland and Max Gill as Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard, Cady's gloriously unconventional guides through the social minefield. As both narrators and outsiders, their wickedly funny observations provide much of the show's heart, reminding us that friendship and individuality are worth considerably more than a place at the popular table.
Beneath the pink outfits, vicious put-downs and exaggerated teenage rivalries is a story about the damage we inflict when we mistake cruelty for confidence. More than twenty years after its cinematic debut, its message about belonging, female friendships and the exhausting pressure to be liked feels just as relevant.
For devoted fans and newcomers alike, this is one fetch night out.
Mean Girls is playing at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 November 2026.
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