Mean Girls at Winter Gardens Blackpool Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Cath
Mean Girls was awarded the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical, has had a successful run in the West End and is currently on a tour of the UK and Ireland and we went to see it last night on its opening night at Blackpool Opera House.
Written by Tina Fey, the 2004 film starred Lindsay Lohan and was subsequently made into a stage show in 2018. Adapting a much loved film into a musical is never without its challenges as audiences don’t simply buy a ticket, they bring their memories with them and a very clear idea of how each character should look and behave. Having never seen the original film we were definitely in the minority last night but as it turned out, that didn’t matter because within minutes we were completely hooked and happily swept along by the story.
The musical is about Cady Heron who has spent most of her life in Kenya and has been home schooled by her zoologist mother. After moving to New York she attends North Shore High School where she soon realises that surviving the wild is one thing, surviving North Shore High is something else entirely! Thrown headfirst into a world of teenage politics, shifting friendships and a completely different type of schooling to what she has been used to, she quickly discovers that the classroom can be far more savage than the Savannah. To begin with she is taken under the wings of Janis and Damian who also help narrate the story.
Janis used to be best friends with Regina, the leader of The Plastics. Alongside Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith, she sits firmly at the top of North Shore High’s social ladder, where popularity is everything. Janis and Regina’s friendship ended when Regina spread a nasty rumour about Janis and she still holds a grudge. With the arrival of Cady, Janis spots the perfect opportunity for revenge, persuading Cady to get in with the girl group and hoping she can bring Regina’s empire crashing down.
Emily Lane was brilliant as Cady, taking her from a confused new student who is simply trying to fit in, to someone who slowly gets caught up in the world of popularity and social status. Vivian Panka also put on an impressive performance as Regina. Confident, manipulative and impossible to ignore, she dominated every scene she appeared in and left no doubt about who ruled the school.
Faye Tozer, of STEPS fame, demonstrates impressive versatility as she effortlessly shifts between the roles of Ms Heron, Ms Norbury and Mrs George. Meanwhile, Michael Dean-Wilson and Georgie Buckland pretty much steal the show as Janis and Damian. They are a great double act and when they are on stage together they get some of the production’s biggest laughs. Damian is actually an understudy but was absolutely brilliant in the role last night.
The choreography of this show was absolutely spot on. Director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw has created a production that never stands still. The stage felt alive all night as the fast paced dance numbers burst into life on the stage making the most of the large cast.
Whilst on the face of it, this show is a perfectly choreographed teen drama with a happy ending, it still carries an important message. With themes of identity, insecurity, friendship and the pressure to fit in, many of the teenage audience members will relate to these characters, the adults will probably recognise them too.
The audience at Blackpool last night loved the show. There was plenty of laughter, enthusiastic applause and a real buzz around the Opera House. Looking around the theatre, it was clear that everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, was having a great time.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets start from £23.13
Mean Girls is at Blackpool Opera House from 18th August to the 22nd August 2026. For more information or to book tickets, visit https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/events/mean-girls/#dates-times or call the box office on 0844 770 0593.
Winter Gardens Blackpool, Church Street, Blackpool, FY11HU