“It’s a sort of cross-generational thing, that’s why everyone can relate to it”: Jenna Innes on Heathers the Musical at Soho Place

A cult classic film starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder turned smash hit musical, Heathers the Musical makes another West End run this year after the success of its production at the Other Palace and a 2023 UK tour. This time, it makes a home in Soho Place, known for housing the summer romance of Brokeback Mountain and Olivier Award Nominee for Best New Musical, The Little Big Things. Heathers is a chaotic, charming and satirical look into clique culture and finding a place within the big, bad world of high school bullies and toxic relationships. It’s one of the viral and more teen-focused performances in the theatre world, a similar vein to shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls the Musical.

Back as Veronica Sawyer is Scottish actor Jenna Innes who played the blue-clad protagonist during the 2023 tour. Innes is known for her performance as Éponine in Les Misérables in London. Rather than auditioning this time around, the role of Veronica was instead offered to her. She performs this run opposite Keelan McAuley’s JD, showcasing the push and pull, toxic and explosive romance first seen on the screen through Slater and Ryder. The Upcoming caught up with Innes to discuss her return as Veronica and what she loves so much about playing such a character, why Soho Place is a great venue for a story like Heathers and meeting fans from all over the world through stage doors meet and greets.

Obviously, you starred as Veronica Sawyer in Heathers the Musical last year on the UK tour. Do you remember the first time you ever auditioned for the role and what that entire experience was like?

It was actually a self-tape – everyone was auditioning for it! They were going on a UK tour so everyone I knew was sending a tape for it. As a working actor, you get a lot of auditions; you hear from some, you don’t hear from others. I did my Veronica self-tape and I really enjoyed it – I thought it was really good! But I didn’t hear anything for a couple of weeks. As an actor, I just thought, “Well, okay – that’s not going to happen. Never mind.” You kind of put it to bed and you don’t think about it. It was maybe about five weeks later that they then called and said, “Would you be able to come in tomorrow and meet the team?” I had to sort of remind myself what the songs were and what the scenes were. I then went on the phone one day with Paul Taylor Mills, Gary Lloyd and Bill Kenwright – before he passed away late last year. Then the next day, I got the phone call and that was me. It’s sort of a long process but it also wasn’t because there was a five-week gap in between, and then it all came and happened within a week. It was amazing!

How did this role come back around for you? How did it compare to last time?

I was really, really honoured. They asked me if I would like to come back this time, so I didn’t have to audition. They just asked me if I would be available to go to the West End and then do the tour again. I had so much fun last year, it was impossible for me to say “no” to!

And what of the character? What is it about Veronica Sawyer that you so adore and love playing?

Oh, I love her so much! What I love most about her is that, like all of us, she’s slightly flawed. She makes mistakes, she’s in a toxic relationship, she’s a very intelligent person but she gets caught up in the wrong group of people, the wrong guy, and makes the wrong choices. Yet we still like her for that. Well – we should hopefully still follow and understand her. That’s what drew me to her. She’s not just a fairy tale character wherein everything’s right and it all goes her way. She makes mistakes and she learns from them, which I think, is important in life to do.

Are there ever any other iterations of Veronica that you looked to for your performances – whether it’s from the film, Barrett, Carrie or any other stage versions?

Once I got the job, I watched the film. To be honest, before getting the job, I had never seen Heathers. I’ve never heard the soundtrack! I didn’t know anything so I had to learn. It was super, super popular and I had friends who had been in it before. But I had never seen it myself. It sounds so bizarre now because I know everything about the show that it’s hard to remember a time when I didn’t know it. When I got the job, I kind of got this choice to watch the pro shot or some of the old versions in the archives. But I kind of made this decision not to because I didn’t want to copy anyone. So many brilliant people have done it before and I wanted to make sure that this is my own version and not an impression of someone else.

What did you make of the original movie with Christian Slater and Winona Ryder? Do you think the musical’s legacy has surpassed the cult classic?

Certainly, for the younger generation, I definitely think the musical has surpassed the film. There are lots of young people meeting us at the stage door with their parents who’ll say, “Oh, I love the film!” It’s a sort of cross-generational thing, that’s why everyone can relate to it. Everyone knows what it’s like to have been 17 or they are currently a teenager. Everyone knows what that feeling of just wanting to be accepted feels like. It’s also so great that a musical like this is bringing a whole new audience to the theatre. It’s introducing – all over Instagram, TikTok, social media – musical theatre and theatre in general to a whole new generation!

The story itself is chaotic and tragic, but also extremely ironic and funny. What do you think it is about Heathers that keeps people coming back for more?

I think it’s because the characters are all so unique and different that everyone in the audience can relate to someone or something that any one of these characters is going through. Like I said, everyone knows what it’s like to be 17 and not be accepted in school or in a social group or whatever. I think it has this universal understanding of that experience so people can relate to it in a very, very real way.

What’s your take on the relationship between JD and Veronica? Do you see the appeal of it?

I’m definitely against it; it’s absolutely toxic! JD in Act I is lovely and charming. I think that’s why Veronica falls for him. He isn’t this psycho killer from the get-go. Otherwise, we as an audience would question Veronica’s judgement. It’s certainly the way that Keelan McAuley is portraying him: he’s gorgeous and charming, and it’s so easy to fall in love with him. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a toxic relationship that we should all steer clear from. If we take nothing else from Heathers, it’s that JD and Veronica should not be together. Maybe in another life if he got the help that he needed and met Veronica in a slightly earlier period in his life, then maybe. But here, definitely not.

Speaking of McAuley, what’s your dynamic with him like, portraying this intense chemistry between JD and Veronica? As you say, it’s absolutely toxic so you have to work extra hard for people to buy into their relationship. How does that experience compare to your other work with previous versions of JD?

I’ve been really lucky that all the JDs I have been on stage with – Jacob Fowler, Tom Dickerson and Keelan McAuley – have all been really, really lovely off-stage. Which, I think, makes a huge difference in being on stage. Three weeks ago, I didn’t know Keelan – I had never met him before. Now, to be playing these lovers on stage, you’ve got to have that genuine friendship off-stage, and we definitely do! It’s a different friendship from the one that Jacob and I had and the one that Tom and I had. But it’s a friendship nonetheless. There are also a lot of intimate scenes so you have to feel safe with someone. I’m fortunate that all three people that I have done it with were and are still my closest friends.

Among the other characters within the show, if you weren’t playing Veronica Sawyer, who do you think you would’ve liked to play in some capacity?

Oh, I don’t know! You see, there’s so much of me that I see in Veronica that I just can’t imagine being any other character. I just relate to Veronica so much. I think if in maybe ten years time, I’ll come back and I would love to do Ms Fleming. That’s something I definitely would love to do and I think it’ll be so much fun.

Have you watched any other plays at Soho Place? If so, which ones, and was the venue something you ever imagined Heathers could be done in?

No, I had never been to Soho Place before. When I heard we were going there, I thought that was going to be really interesting because I knew the space that it was in and I knew the challenges. Being there, what’s so nice about that place is that every seat in the house is a good seat. There’s no bad seat in there. You can do quite an intimate performance which is really, really special for the audience and for the actors on stage. You’re not playing these huge tour venues that we went to with 2,000 to 3,000 seats. It’s very intimate: you can see every eye flick and eye emotion on stage. I think it’s a perfect venue for it.

Heathers is of course an iconic musical. What’s your favourite number to perform and has it changed since you last donned the character of Veronica?

I love I Say No – I think it’s the perfect female musical theatre number. It’s an incredible song written so beautifully by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, and it’s such great moment in the show with such a great message. Every time it comes up, I get excited every single time. I’ve sung that song over 300 times and I still love it and I’m still so happy every time it comes up.

Do you have a favourite behind-the-scenes memory so far that you would like to share?

There are so many funny little moments! There is one on-stage mishap that I absolutely love and it’s so funny. You know in the show, in the opening number, there’s a big makeover and there’s a big Veronica reveal. The whole cast is looking at Veronica and she runs down the centre and it goes, “Veronica, Veronica, Veronica!” I run down that centre with the whole auditorium’s eyes on me, and I slipped with both feet on the air with my ass, and then I shot straight back up again for, “And you know, you know, you know!” I just thought it was brilliant live theatre. I think a lot of people were worried I’d hurt myself and if I was going to be upset. But it was hilarious and the audience loved it. We were all a part of something that night, and I think mishaps like that are brilliant because it’s a good story. To slip up on such an iconic moment, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

I’m sure fans will be raring to know since most of the performances at Soho Place have been followed by stage-door meetings with the cast. Are you guys going to come see some of the fans while you’re stopping by for the next six weeks?

Definitely! I love meeting the fans who have travelled; we’ve met people from Brazil, from Chicago, from Perth. People have travelled from all over the world to see the show, so I love meeting people after. The only time we can’t meet people is on a Friday matinee because of the quick turnaround. But every other performance, I plan to meet and say “hello” to people.

Mae Trumata
Image: Pamela Raith

Heathers the Musical is at Soho Place until 6^th July 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.