I Was a Teenage She-Devil – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

I Was a Teenage She-Devil at Upper Theatre at theSpace @ Niddry St.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Created by writer and composer Sean Matthew Whiteford to emulate a cult classic, high school horror, 1980s B-movie, I Was a Teenage She-Devil is a riot from start to finish.

Full of flair and brimming with energy, this colourful show immediately whips the audience into its American adolescent world. Almost the entire story is sung-through, any brief linking scenes full of well-timed jokes, all expertly executed by a committed cast. And the movement is dazzling throughout.

Plain, geeky Nancy Nelson (Faith Pasch) is dissatisfied with her life. She wants to be seen and loved. When head cheerleader Tiffani (Caitlin Anderson) loses her status because of her mistreatment of Nancy, Tiffani takes the bullying to the next level. Left crying in the school bathrooms, Nancy feels more alone than ever. So when Satan (Sean Arkless) comes out of the toilet and offers her everything she wants in return for her soul, Nancy agrees. Imbued with the power of hell, sexy and bad-ass, she starts killing everybody in a variety of outrageous, schlock horror ways.

For anyone in any doubt what type of genre they’ve walked into, Nancy’s friends, token stoner Doobie (Matt Bader) and punk chick Debbie (a heartfelt performance from Lee Beka Harper), set it up clearly with a discussion of classic B-movies.

Comically tall and beautifully sung, himbo quarterback, Big Rod (Ollie Thomas-Smith) is consistently hysterically funny, while Anderson, as Rod’s underhand girlfriend Tiffani, demonstrates complete mastery of her character, with an outstanding vocal range.

Never a dull moment, Todd (Louis Hearsey) and Christian, good girl girlfriend Heather (Charis Stockton) are brilliantly entertaining in the detail they give to their supporting roles.

In the lead role, Pasch is crisply versatile. Initially soft, sweet and innocent, she transforms into a powerful she-devil; dynamic, sexy and thoroughly believable.

Feuille Dooley Productions’ I Was a Teenage She-Devil is a joyful bop. If it were made into a full-scale musical or film it could become a cult classic in its own right. Look out for ‘Teenage She-Devil’ if she comes your way.

Molly Glenn