Musical Cruel Intentions to make UK debut at the Edinburgh Fringe

Immersive jukebox-style show Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will receive its UK premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

Inspired by the 1999 American film Cruel Intentions, which was in turn inspired by the 18th century French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the musical will play Assembly George Gardens from 1-25 August 2019.

Created by the cult film’s director Roger Kumble working with Lindsay Rosin and Jordan Ross, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical features some of the biggest pop hits of the nineties.

Set in nineties 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.

A hit with audiences in Los Angeles and New York, the UK premiere of Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will be directed by Jonathan O’Boyle and choreographed by Gary Lloyd.

Commenting on the musical version of his movie, Kumble said: “Never in my darkest fantasies would I believe 20 years later, my movie about a pair of hedonistic Manhattan step-siblings would turn into a musical. An amazing musical that even people who hate musicals would love, complete with a soundtrack loaded with the greatest 90s guilty pleasure songs.”

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.

Currently on a North American tour, the show’s UK debut will be produced Bill Kenwright , who recently helped bring another musical based on a cult nineties film, Heathers to the West End.

Angela Thomas