Bill Kenwright Ltd are delighted to announce the full cast for the UK & Ireland tour of Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble. The musical is based on the original hit film by Roger Kumble and originally produced by Eva Price.
Following sell-out seasons in London and New York, the brand-new smash hit musical Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, will open at Windsor Theatre Royal on 13 February 2025 touring through to 28 June where it will close at Brighton Theatre Royal.
Cast members Josh Barnett and Abbie Budden from the 2023 London Cast of Cruel Intentions The Musical, presenting at the West End Wilma Awards
What is Cruel Intentions about?
Based on the iconic film and inspired by Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical is packed with ‘90s pop classics including the songs of Britney Spears, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, TLC, R.E.M., Ace of Base, Natalie Imbruglia, The Verve, *NSYNC and many more!
Step siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil engage in a cruel bet: Kathryn goads Sebastian into attempting to seduce Annette Hargrove, the headmaster’s virtuous daughter.
Weaving a web of secrets and temptation, their crusade wreaks havoc on the students at their exclusive Manhattan high school. It’s not long before the duo become entangled in their own web of deception and unexpected romance, with explosive results…
Who is in the cast of Cruel Intentions?
Abbie Budden (Jill in Jack and the Beanstalk, Ipswich Regent Theatre, Heidi in [Title of Show], Southwark Playhouse and Phoenix Arts Club) will return to the role of Annette Hargrove, with Will Callan (Marius in Les Misérables, West End & UK and Ireland tour) as Sebastian Valmont, Nic Myers (Alternate Sally Bowles in Cabaret, West End) as Kathryn Merteuil, Lucy Carter (Babies: A New Musical, The Other Palace) as Cecile Caldwell / Marci Greenbaum, Luke Connor Hall (The Choir of Man, Arts Theatre) as Blaine Tuttle, Joe Simmons (Pippin, 50th Anniversary Concert) as Greg McConnell, Gabriella Williams (Betty Haynes in White Christmas, The Mill at Sonning) as Mrs Bunny Caldwell / Dr Greenbaum and Kevin Yates (Ain’t Too Proud, West End) as Ronald Clifford. Completing the cast are Olivia Brookes (Ali in MAMMA MIA!, West End), Ben Fenwick (Heathers, West End and UK Tour), Sophie Hutchinson (Heathers, The Other Palace) and Onuri Smith (Jack and the Beanstalk, Cliffs Pavilion).
Who is in the creative team?
Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical is directed by Jonathan O’Boyle (Hair, Rain Man, Pippin, Aspects of Love), choreographed by Gary Lloyd (Heathers, Thriller Live, Carrie the Musical) who is also Associate Director with set and costume design by Polly Sullivan, lighting design by Nick Richings and sound design by Chris Whybrow. The Musical Supervisor is Jeremy Wootton and Musical Director is Will Joy. Associate Choreographer is Emma Hunter, Intimacy Co-ordinator is Rebecca Reaney and Fight Director is Bret Yount.
Review by Annie King (New Wimbledon Theatre, February 2025) ★★★
After a tremendous run at The Other Palace last year, Cruel Intentions the Musical is returning for a full regional tour across the UK. Catching it last night at The New Wimbledon Theatre, we were eager to see if the tour is set to be as successful as its London run.
Based on the cult 90’s musical, which is a modern retelling of Les Liaisons dangereuses, we follow step siblings Sebastian and Kathryn on a devilish bet in which Sebastian has to try to seduce the innocent Annette. Keeping true to its 90’s era, and self branded as ‘the 90’s musical’ it is every bit as scandalous and sexy as its predecessor.
Roger Krumble – the writer of the 90’s film has joined forces with Jordan Ross & Lindsey Ross to reimagine the book for the stage. The dialogue is kept very true to the film, with all the outrageous homophobic and sexist tropes fans of the film will remember. It’s a bold script to bring to the stage – given how offensive the main characters are – but the show very much goes down the route of being a spoof take of the film.
Jonathan O’Boyle directs the cast and show with complete understanding of the story. It flows with great ease and the scenes are brilliantly slick. Staging is kept minimal aside from the beautifully intricate background, which enables the show to have wonderful pace without compromising on its effect. This is often a challenge for a touring production to get the balance of staging vs logistics, so it was a pleasure to see the show work so perfectly.
Polly Sullivan’s costuming is wonderfully reminiscent of the film and the 90’s – but with a slight edge, making its transfer to the stage even more enjoyable.
The jokes however were often outweighed by the scandalousness of them, with not as many laughs as I assume were intended. Whether this is due to some of the audience not knowing the premise of the film, or the jokes just being a bit too far out for 2025, I’m not entirely decided either way.
Some new characters are added to the story – such as the entertaining queer duo Blaine Tuttle (Luke Conner Hall) & Greg McConnell (Joe Simmons) who both perform with brilliant comedic timing and high energy. However, the focus on their storyline means the plot for the leading characters aren’t quite as fleshed out, and leaves their character development feeling rather flat.
Despite this, Will Callan is every bit as mesmerising as he is evil as Sebastian, offering powerhouse vocals – his solo in Act 2 being a standout moment of the entire show. Nic Myers leads with all the natural air of a leading lady as Kathryn. She always understands her characters inside out and is a total pleasure to watch perform.
Self proclaimed as THE 90’s musical, the show has gone down the route of a jukebox score. It’s a fun take for a screen to stage adaptation, and adds an extra layer of nostalgia to the show – brimming with multiple iconic numbers from the likes of Britney to TLC. The songs are well curated to fit into the context of the show, although some numbers felt a little too forced – overall it is a fun and entertaining trip down memory lane.
The songs are brought to life by the incredible Gary Lloyd whose choreography has become synonymous with success – providing high energy and impactful movement for each number. Lloyd really understands the meaning of the music he choreographs, which makes it such a joy to watch, whilst remaining relevant and impressive.
Overall, the show is a fun night out – a throwback not only to a loved film, but brimming with iconic songs you’ll struggle to not tap your foot along to. Although the script may raise a few eyebrows – it’s all taken on the chin and plays into its outrageousness. Audiences will struggle to leave without a smile on their face from this total immersion into 90’s nostalgia.
Are there any accessible performances scheduled?
Check individual venue websites.
Cruel Intentions UK & Ireland Tour Dates
13 – 15 Feb Windsor Theatre Royal
18 – 22 Feb York Grand Opera House
25 Feb – 1 Mar New Wimbledon Theatre
4 – 8 Mar Chelmsford Theatre
11 – 15 Mar Cheltenham Everyman Theatre
18 – 22 Mar Northampton Royal & Derngate
25 – 29 Mar Manchester Opera House
1 – 5 Apr Dublin Gaiety Theatre
8 – 12 Apr Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre
15 – 19 Apr Oxford New Theatre
23 – 26 Apr Theatre Royal Bath
29 Apr – 3 May Malvern Theatres
6 – 10 May Leeds Grand Theatre
13 – 17 May Hull New Theatre
20 – 24 May Darlington Hippodrome Theatre
27 – 31 May Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre
3 – 7 Jun Birmingham Hippodrome
10 – 14 Jun Princess Theatre, Torquay
24 – 28 Jun Theatre Royal Brighton
