The stage musical version of the 1999 American film Cruel Intentions will make its long-awaited London debut early next year. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film which took its inspiration from the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical will open at The Other Palace on 11 January 2024 where it will play a 14-week season.
Presented by Bill Kenwright Ltd, the musical which was created by the film’s director Roger Kumble along with Jordan Ross and Lindsey Rosin, was first seen in the UK at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019. The musical arrived on this side of the Atlantic after successful runs in New York and Los Angeles.
Set in 1990s Manhattan, the story of manipulative rich kids Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil is played out accompanied by live performances of chart hits including Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’, ‘I Saw the Sign’ by Ace of Base, Boyz II Men’s ‘I’ll Make Love to You’, *NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’, Britney Spears’ ‘Sometimes’, R.E.M.’s ‘Losing My Religion’ and ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by The Verve.
Commenting on the show’s London debut, Kumble said: “The perfect 25th-anniversary celebration of my 1999 film about a pair of hedonistic Manhattan step-siblings is seeing it re-imagined on the London stage as a musical. It’s an amazing show with a soundtrack loaded with all the greatest ’90s guilty pleasures songs. Even people who hate musicals will love it!”
Director Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographer and associate director Gary Lloyd head the creative team. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair, Cruel Intentions captured the imagination of moviegoers and spawned two sequels. The musical debuted in LA in 2015 and arrived in New York following two sold-out runs, proving equally popular with audiences in the city when it made its Off-Broadway debut at the Greenwich Village nightclub Le Poisson Rouge.
Angela Thomas
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