The Other Palace, London
There are some excellent performances in an uneven adaptation of the hit film, staged with songs by No Doubt, Ace of Base and Placebo
After its hit with a sour bubblegum musical based on Heathers, the Other Palace presents an adaptation of another ultra-quotable movie about high-school damage. This jukebox show, first staged in the US almost a decade ago, was co-created by Roger Kumble, closely adapted from his 1999 film “suggested by” Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Cruel Intentions’ tale of Upper East Side teenage treachery, privilege and popped cherries came with a soundtrack bookended by Placebo’s Every You Every Me and the Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony. Along with Counting Crows’ Colorblind, those songs are reused here for the same scenes as the film. Added to the mix are hits by No Doubt, TLC and Ace of Base (The Sign greets an orgasm), plus a hummable snippet from the Dawson’s Creek theme.
