Review Roundup: CRUEL INTENTIONS is Now on UK and Ireland Tour

The UK & Ireland tour of Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical is now underway! 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. Read the reviews below!

The tour opened at Windsor Theatre Royal on 13 February 2025, and will continue through to 28 June where it will close at Brighton Theatre Royal.               

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…

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Josh Maughan, BroadwayWorld:  However, perhaps I needed a reminder (and a bit of convincing) that a night at the theatre, full of ridiculous fun, is also essential in these times – as a form of escapism. Did the UK and Ireland Tour of Cruel Intentions at the New Wimbledon Theatre manage to convince me of this? One hundred percent.

Andrew Houghton, The Reviews Hub: The production employs a camp, tongue-in-cheek approach to its cult-movie retelling and seems, at least initially, to be quite self-aware. However, the line which separates laughing with and laughing at the show grows dangerously thin at points. Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical may be a crowd-pleasing and fun night out, but it sets its own bar quite low.

Chess Hayden, West End Best Friend:  It’s worth noting that the characters do use some controversial terminology in relation to gender, race and sexuality, although this is a reflection of the dialogue and plot taken from the original film. Overall, this is a successful adaptation which leans into the camp and playful essence of 90’s nostalgia.

Jonathan Marshall, London Theatre 1: The musical even pokes fun at its source material and never takes itself too seriously. This, combined with its crowd-pleasing soundtrack, allows us to fully immerse ourselves into what is ultimately an unapologetically camp comedy that solely sets out to entertain. It more than achieves its intentions, showcasing stellar talent both on and off the stage, and providing some welcome respite from reality. For fans of the film and / or ‘90s pop music or for those simply seeking a fun night out, this one is for you.

London Theatre Reviews: Under Jonathan O'Boyle's direction, the transition to the stage is seamless, with the narrative unfolding at a brisk pace, ensuring that the audience remains engaged throughout. The performances are generally strong, with the cast capturing the essence of the film's characters while adding their own unique flair. The chemistry between the actors is palpable, particularly during the more intense and dramatic scenes.

Jeremy Chapman, Musical Theatre Review: I was also handicapped by ignorance of the music. Where was I in the 1990s – on Planet Zog? Only a handful of the 25 hits which the writers Roger Kumble, Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross Schindler had so cleverly worked into the storyline struck a chord. And what bizarre names the groups that made them had: Sixpence None the Richer, Garbage, Marcy Playground and Ace of Base, and that’s just four. All this I missed while running a daily newspaper and trying to keep two wild teenage daughters on a virtuous path (failed), so I cannot even say the score, played rather too loudly by the Cruel Intentions band (MD: Will Joy) for my taste, was a nostalgia trip.

Zoe, Stage to Page:  My biggest issue with the show is the music. I love a 90s hit as much as the next person, but being a child of the 90s myself, I am flabbergasted by the choices made. There's 26 songs in the show, of which only four felt fitting, and the arrangements throughout were lacking.

Sarah McPartlan, Musical Theatre Musings: The music is clearly the main draw of this show however and being a fan of 90’s music this suited me just fine however it did mean that character developments and relationship building took a back seat and by the climax of the show I still struggled to feel anything for any of the characters on stage. I also struggled to believe that both Kathryn and Sebastian were still at school due to the sexual maturity they displayed but this problem rang true with the source material also.

Emily Smith, Fairy Powered Productions:  The true standout of the evening was Will Callan who played Sebastian Valmont. Will’s voice is absolutely gorgeous – reminiscent of musical icon Ben Platt at times – and his rendition of Iris, which started acapella, was one of the best of the evening. Abbie Budden also showcased her beautiful vocals with Abbie and Will’s duets, Lovefool and Torn, being two of the more memorable performances of the evening.

Jude, Sound and Stage:  Despite its nostalgic appeal, the musical struggled to integrate its iconic jukebox pop soundtrack seamlessly into the narrative. While some of the audience eagerly responded to the first notes of each song, my lack of familiarity with all the tracks made the transitions feel clunky, and at times, the musicality didn’t fully translate. Additionally, the sheer number of characters and romantic entanglements led to a noticeable lack of development—both individually and in their relationships—leaving me wanting more depth.

Christine Stanton, Rated Reviewed:  The joy of the show is that it never takes itself seriously – fully leaning into the exaggerated storyline and ridiculously added song segues with a brilliant dose of humour. Scenes that could easily be cheesy are playfully performed, turning the cringe into an almost satirical take on the movie. 

Emma Kaabachi, Adventures in Theatreland: Now, don’t get me wrong, this show is fun. It is different, nostalgic, and full of energy, despite its whacky story. But the large stage meant that something needed to be added to fill that space. There were many opportunities, particularly in Act 2, to bring in the incredibly talented ensemble to do exactly that, but it wasn’t done.

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