Video made the musical star
Until Saturday November 27
Rebecca Wickes had an unusual way into her role as the lead in Heathers the Musical.
The performer, from Bexleyheath, has the first lockdown and having time on her hands to thank for being cast as Veronica.
“I put a video of myself singing one of the songs from the show on Instagram and my friend happened to know the producer and he tagged him – and the show was casting at the time. He then tagged the director.
” The director messaged me and it went from there. It was so bizarre, I put this song on Instagram, just for fun. Iquite often do that with lots of songs. If I’d never posted that video with the intention that these incredible people would see that and that anything would come of it.”
The dark comedy sees Westerberg High’s Veronica Sawyer get an upgrade in popularity when she joins the beautiful and cruel crew of Heathers. Suddenly it seems that her dreams of popularity may finally come true. Then the mysterious teen rebel JD teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody.
The tour has gone down a storm with audiences hungry to get back in theatres.
“Everyone’s on their feet all the time,” says Rebecca.
“Pre lockdown I was on Norwegian Cruises doing Six the Musical but the day after we opened we all had to go home because of Covid, last March when the very first lockdown happpened.
“I was so luckly because quite early on I had Heathers so I had that to hold onto.
“It’s based on the 80s movie Heathers with Winona Ryder. It’s about Veronica trying to find her way through the horrors of high school.”
Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, this high-octane black-comedy rock musical.
“Fans of the show are crazy for it, there is a real variety of ages going and there’s such a mix of music,” says Rebecca.
“It’s a beautiful score and a great show. There’s no other musical like it!
Siobhan Newman