Theatre
Interview
Backstage Pass: Nic Myers – Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical
Following sell out runs in London and New York, Cruel Intentions: The '90's Musical has come to Ireland for the first time, running in the Gaiety Theatre until Saturday 5 April.
Based on the iconic film, inspired by Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the show is full of ‘90s pop classics for the ultimate night out of nostalgia.
We caught up with the production’s own Kathryn Merteuil, Nic Myers, to chat karaoke, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the many sides of Kathryn.
Cruel Intentions, it’s a musical, it’s a 90s jukebox show, it’s a reimagining of a French novel, it’s based a classic high school film… how would you describe the production to people who don’t know anything about it?
I would describe it as a nostalgic fever dream of raunchy, sexy, fun jams, weaved together with an incredibly exciting and funny story.
What’s it like to play Kathryn Merteuill every night?
It’s a dream. She has so many sides to her. She gets to be funny. I get to belt the boots house down, and I get to have a serious moment, and I get share the stage with amazingly talented people. So, all on all it’s just super fun and I feel very privileged to be doing it.
Image: Pamela Raith
Do you remember the first time you saw the film?
Yes, I do. I have some slightly older cousins who are kind of in their late 30s, who Buffy was a huge thing for them. So Sarah Michelle Gellar was also a huge thing for them. And that, I think, was my introduction to Cruel Intentions. I think I must have been about 15 when I first watched it, so the right age I would say.
Let’s talk about the music – so many great hits – presumably you were already quite familiar with a lot of the tracks, do you have any favourites?
Yes, ‘Genie In A Bottle’ was very much a part of my teenage years. All Christina really. One of my favourites now is ‘Sunday Morning’, which is a Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, number, which I’d never heard of. But now to sing is probably one of my favourites in the show.
Have you got a karaoke go-to?
My karaoke go to is (sings) turn around every now and then again a little bit lonely… ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ Bonnie Tyler, or ‘Alone’ by Heart.
Did you involve the originals much in your rehearsals – watching the music videos, listening to the original tracks – or did you purposely avoid doing that?
Yeah, I did. I made myself a playlist of all the tracks in the show, because I thought that was really useful to know the reference of the music, because we do them slightly differently. It’s obviously a musical, and we’re trying to tell a story through the songs, but it’s so important to know the original and a lot of Gary Lloyd’s choreography is based off of music videos. So there’s some homage to a lot of things in the 90s, which is great.
Image: Pamela Raith
How challenging was the choreography on this? Any routines that were especially hard to learn?
Hmm, I don’t do much dancing in this show, but I’ve done Gary Lloyd choreography before, and it’s always super slick, super energetic, and the ensemble are doing an amazing job. So my only bit of choreography really is in ‘I’m The Only One’ and the boys lift me whilst I’m belting in a corset. So that’s probably my hardest physical moment in the show.
What’s life like behind the scenes on Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musial while on tour?
Oh, it’s so fun. Everyone is honestly a dream. The cities we’re going to are really beautiful. I’m loving Dublin, which is where we are right now. I’m loving Dublin. It’s super vibrant and energetic and I loved Manchester. So yeah, we all get really well, and it’s just a blast being on tour.
How would you describe the show in three words?
Hmmmm. Raunchy. Fun. Nostalgic.
