Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical 2025 UK Tour - Review

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Tue 29 Apr 2025 - Sat 28 Jun 2025

There's been a wave of 'jukebox' musicals for a new generation featuring 1990s and Noughties music of late that often draw on the success of cult films. Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical is one of those, now on its first UK tour after a stint in London's West End, but it left me feeling cruelly disappointed.

The original film in 1999 was a glamorous affair that made stars of its leading actors Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair and was a taught, sexy, dark romance based loosely on classic French novel Dangerous Liaisons. This musical promised that story along with a memorable soundtrack of '90s hits from Goo Goo Dolls to TLC for nostalgic Generation X audience members, like myself.

I caught the touring show at Malvern Theatres , where it stays until Saturday, May 3 before moving on to venues including Birmingham Hippodrome , Leeds Grand Theatre and Brighton Theatre Royal.

To get things started, there's a sassy introduction over the speaker from Nic Myers, playing manipulative lead Kathryn Merteuil. It sets you up for a show that I expected to be acerbic, witty and clever - but sadly, it was none of these.

Based around teenage socialites in New York's Upper East Side, Cruel Intentions was a precursor to TV show Gossip Girl, which is very much in the same vein. To pass the time, spoiled siblings Kathryn Merteuil and her handsome lothario step-brother Sebastian Valmont, pictured below, spend their time playing twisted sexual games against anyone who bothers them.



When Kathryn bets Sebastian that he can't win over wholesome virgin Annette Hargrove, it leads to an unlikely romance, making Sebastian question his values and lifestyle.

But this show left me confused at what it's supposed to be. Some of it seems very much tongue-in-cheek, erring on the side of comedy, like the bizarre use of TLC's No Scrubs and sideline story of secret gay lovers Blaine and Greg.

Yet it also, at times, tries to be dramatic and serious, and the two don't sit well together. The show and the characters are one-dimensional. If it's a drama, it fails with a flimsy storyline and rarely more than two people on stage plus songs that don't often fit well into what's happening. If it's a comedy, then most of it isn't very funny. It needs to decide what it is and fix it.

I came into Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical straight after reviewing pop musical &Juliet on tour at Birmingham Hippodrome. That was a five-star show, which is clever, finely tuned and used songs perfect for the moment. It makes Cruel Intentions appear very weak in comparison.

There's also unsavoury elements that seem tone deaf for modern audiences after the 'me too' movement. It opens with Will Callan's Sebastian playing a rather cruel trick on his psychiatrist's daughter involving putting indecent photos of her on the internet.



You end up not liking any of the main characters and romantic heroine Annette hardly makes an impact due to the weak script, which is dominated by a song being performed every few minutes. Yes, there's familiar hits and The Verve's chart-topping hit Bitter Sweet Symphony that was used in the movie features in a decent sequence late on, but by then it's too late.

The songs take precedence over the plot and what should have been the most dramatic scene of the whole show involving Sebastian's finale is turned into a fleeting moment. A truly wasted scene that should have had more impact. Don't go into this expecting the romance of the movie, as there isn't any.

Despite the drawbacks, Will Callan impresses and was convincing as the flawed Sebastian. He also has the best voice among the cast.

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical on tour really missed the mark for me. I sat there willing it to end and luckily it was short at just over two hours including an interval. It's a weak jukebox musical and my advice is that if you want to relive your '90s favourite hits, there are better shows around - or maybe just listen to Spotify.

RATING: 2 out of 5 stars


Recommended age: 14+ due to sexual and drug references

UK Tour Dates - Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical

For tour information and tickets, see the Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical tour website here.

MALVERN THEATRES - until May 3
LEEDS GRAND THEATRE - 6 – 10 May
HULL NEW THEATRE - 13 – 17 May
DARLINGTON HIPPODROME - 20 – 24 May
CARDIFF WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE - 27 – 31 May
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME - 3 – 7 June
TORQUAY PRINCESS THEATRE - 10 – 14 Jun
BRIGHTON THEATRE ROYAL - 24 – 28 Jun

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