REVIEW: Mean Girls brings the fun, sass and laughter at Sheffield’s Lyceum theatre
Laughter, excitement and a whole lot of fun was the shared experience of the Lyceum theatre as Mean Girls opened their Sheffield leg with a bang
Before entering the theatre on Monday night (November 9), there were definite signs that the iconic Mean Girls musical had arrived in Sheffield.
A sea of pink could be seen in the crowd as fans wore items of clothing in the colour to represent the famous line from the movie, “On Wednesday’s we wear pink”.
Right from the beginning, it was hilarious - the characters Damien and Janis narrated the show, telling the story through their eyes.
Some of the biggest laughs came from these two, played by Max Gill and Georgie Buckland, their humour and friendship was incredible to watch, not to mention the amazing voices they have.
For those who don’t know the story, it’s about a girl called Cady Heron, played by Emily Lane, who moves to America after living in Kenya, as she tries to figure out the social hierarchies High School offers a teenage girl.
It’s based on the original 2004 movie, and made its musical premiere in 2017. In 2024, Paramount Pictures released a new twist on the film from the mind of Tina Fey, who played Ms Norbury in the 2004 version.
The duo, Damien and Janis, befriend Cady, but she gains a new friendship amongst the legendary plastics - a group of three who run North Shore High School’s social hierarchies.
The plastics include Kiara Dario who played Gretchen Wieners, Sophie Pourret who played Karen Smith, alongside Lillia Squires, who played Regina George. Lillia had to step in as a cast change for the night - but she did not disappoint, her performance perfectly embodied the balance of mean girl energy and effortless glamour.
This wasn’t the only change either, Fergie Fraser stepped in to play Ms Heron, Ms Norbury and Mrs George - a truly impressive role that required quick costume changes that wowed the audience.
Ben Oatley played Aaron Samuels, the charming love interest of the show who gave a flirtatious performance that left the crowd giggling.
But beneath the bold humour and big musical numbers, it’s a show about friendship and carries a genuinely heartfelt message that popularity does not equal self worth - that real strength comes from supporting others.
Mean Girls runs until Saturday, November 14.