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Fringe Favourites: Cruel Intentions the 90s Musical

Cruel Intentions
© The Other Richard

Love or hate it, nostalgia is big right now. Film directors, theatre companies, games producers, and record labels are cashing in on our desire to relive decades gone by. And why not? It's a widely known part of the human experience that we hold the biggest place in our hearts for the pop culture of our childhood and teenage years. I can't name a single Billie Ellish song (but I know who she is, I'm not that out of touch) but ask me to recite every song from Green Day's American Idiot album and I'm your girl.

So obviously the Edinburgh Fringe is chock full of acts attempting to tap into everyone's inner teenager. But the performance that is shouting the loudest (if posters could shout) is the musical adaption of Cruel Intentions.

Cruel Intentions is a bit of a random film to adapt. I was just short of being a teenager in 1999, and while the film did perform well, it didn't have the same pop culture influence that Clueless or Mean Girls did. And as much as Sarah Michelle Geller was in her prime in the late 90s, these days we never really see her (see this YouTube video for a quick analysis as to why). Despite being a film I've always enjoyed, it doesn't stand out as one of the big ones.

But the producers were smart and decided to tap into the audience's nostalgia for all things the 90s. In addition to bringing the story and dialogue to the stage, they sprinkled some of the most recognisable pop songs from the 90s into the script. We're talking Britney Spears, N*SYNC, TLC, Goo Goo Dolls, Natalie Imbruglia and the Dawson's Creek soundtrack. And they made reference to AOL Chat and other 90s peculiarities.

Before I went into the theatre, I knew that this formula had the potential to really work...or fall flat on its face.

Thankfully, it really worked.

The singing from every cast member was on-point, Rebecca Gilhooley perfectly impersonated Sarah Michelle Geller's accent, Sophie Isaacs physically resembles Reese Whitherspoon, and a special shout out to Evelyn Hoskins for nailing the cringier scenes in her over-the-top take on the naive Cecile.

The musical adaptation also stays true to the original film but does soldier through it at a very quick pace (there's no interval). And as you would expect from any musical adaption, it is much campier than the original film (which wasn't very campy at all).

They performed the musical adaption in a pop-up marquee in George Square Gardens, which did mean they were limited by their performance space. Throughout the performance, they kept the same set that consisted of two chaise lounge-style benches (which wouldn't have looked out of place in the original film). A great set is difficult to acquire if you're limited by cost or space. And sometimes stretching a production budget to create visual set changes can make the audience painfully aware of how little budget you have (or at least it can for me). But the decision to make just one setup work for the entire show simplified the performance and meant the audiences' focus was on the story.

Saying that, if this musical gains traction (which I think it will) I would love to see what they could do with a proper stage set up and team. But I'm thankful the kept it simple at this stage.

Was it a high-brow Shakespearean play? Absolutely not. Was it fun? Hell yes. If fun pop songs make you break out in a rant about manufactured bands who don't write their own songs, then Cruel Intentions The 90s Musical is not for you. And if you didn't live through the 90s (did you know that people born in 2000 can now legally drink alcohol? Mental) then some of the references might be lost on you.

But if you like the original film and still boogie in your room to the Backstreet Boys, then Cruel Intentions The 90s Musical comes highly recommended.

mòrag

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geek music

The 10 best Eurovision songs ever, according to me

If you don't immediately recognise the dress, it will make sense when you find out my favourite Eurovision act.

If I were to list my favourite yearly events, Eurovision would come second (the first would be Halloween). And I dgaf what anyone thinks of that. Years ago, I once even wrote a blog on why I love Eurovision so much. It's great and I will not hear a word against it.

With it being this Saturday and everything, I thought I'd mark the occasion with a list of my favourite Eurovision songs ever. Because I am the sort of person who thinks about these things. And if you thought that I thought about this for the sole purpose of this blog, you would be mistaken. I've long kept a mental list of my favourite Eurovision songs that I can recite when needed. This is just me putting it on paper. I might print it off later and laminate it.

In no order, until my favourite - which is at the end.

Lordi

Poor little Finland: until 2006 it had never won the Eurovision Song Contest and it doesn't even make the final half the time. But Hardrock Hallelujah was a stomper of a tune. I also went to see Lordi in 2015 when they were on tour in Glasgow because I am that cool.

Jedward

I'm not apologising for this. They've been in it twice, and I prefer Waterline to the other song. It's happy and reminds me of falling in love. That's nice.

Lena

Germany's song from 2011, which won them the title. This song was so good that my Eurovision-hating dad actually picked up the phone to vote for it. It's the only time he's ever voted.

Softengine

Apparently, when Finland do make the final I really like it.

Ruth Lorenzo

Everyone loved this one too. It's a power ballad.

Hanna Pakarinen

This was Finland's entry the year after Lordi won them the crown. It didn't do nearly as well. But it's still gothy because you can trust Finland to bring the goth. I voted for it.

The Ark

Also in 2007 was The Ark from Sweden with a bit of glam goth rock. The next day I downloaded it to the family computer from Limewire (probably with some viruses too) and it's still on my iPod to this day (it's a nano, and I still use it).

Precious

The first ever Eurovision I remember watching was in 1999, where the UK's entry was the girl band Precious. It's a happy pop song about saying I Love You for the first time. And one of their members is a pre-Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost, so what's not to love?

Selma

Alas, however, we cannot vote for our own country. So during the 1999 Eurovision, my mum let me break my voting virginity and I chose Iceland. Here is Selma with All Out of Luck (she came second, but Sweden won).

And my forever favourite Eurovision song...

Gina G

I have a slightly weird fangirl love for the one hit wonder that was Gina G. So much so, that I dressed up as her for Eurovision one year when we had to dress up as past Eurovision acts. The dress is the one in the picture at the start, and I intend on getting married in it.

She came second to Ireland and I believe she was robbed. I will die on this hill.

mòrag

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books geek

My earliest fandoms and pop culture obsessions

I've been pop-culture obsessed as far back as I can remember. As much as society, teachers, and parents tried to present tv watching as The Lazy Child's hobby there was no keeping me from new films or spending my pocket money on every magazine ever.

When I say tv watching and magazine reading, I'm not referring to the typical adolescent behaviour that most people aged 12-16 exhibit; I devoured the pop culture that surrounded me. While I wouldn't identify as a geek until my early 20s it's safe to say that I already was.

Saying that, I didn't grow up in a pop culture obsessed house. My parents aren't particularly big television watchers so we never had Sky with my mum even stating that if we were multi-millionaires she still wouldn't sign up for anything other than Freeview (though my parent's do now have Netflix...which only my dad uses). So there were some late 90s and 00s fandoms that I didn't have access to.

But like every teenager ever, I found a way around everything.

I also have a crazy good memory.

As you'll find out.

The Babysitters Club

I wasn't a massive bookworm as a child and even as an adult I gravitate towards non-fiction, but my earliest fandom ever was The Babysitters Club. I remember randomly picking up Claudia and the Great Mystery as my library book and it ended up being love at first page.

After speed-reading that first book, I would pick out another book in the series until I had read everything that was on offer in the school library (which I think was a measly six books; I grew up in a village so, naturally, our school library wasn't all that brag-worthy). Then whenever we had those school jumble sales it was copies of The Babysitters Club that I would scout out.

As an adult I have even purchased a few of the books to help fill in the gaps. The Babysitters Club has become a book series that I appreciate more as an adult. The characters are diverse, each with their own personalities and quirks. Plus, they weren't all white and there was a boy babysitter too. I also first heard about diabetes from The Babysitters Club and several diabetics around my age have confessed that Stacey was a character who helped them through their diagnosis.

Hollyoaks

I want to pretend I'm joking here, but I'm not: I was full-on obsessed with Hollyoaks as an early teenager and would consider it a major fandom of my adolescent years. Every weeknight at 6:30pm I would purposefully sit down to watch it, and would even tell my friends they weren't allowed to come in for me until 7pm! I don't watch it these days as all my favourite characters have left, including the only real celebrity/fictional crush I've ever had: Craig Dean aka Guy Burnett!

Scream

I've blogged about my love for the Scream franchise before, including the new television show (they can re-boot the premise as many times as they want and I'll still be its numero uno fan). I explicitly remember flicking through the channels one night in my mid-teens and Courtney Cox appeared on screen pacing through the college corridors. Thankfully I don't mind spoilers, including watching things in the wrong order, so starting on Scream 2 didn't prevent me from falling in love with its clever genre-bending horror-comedy storyline.

Friends

I think everyone was obsessed with Friends - but did you spend New Year's Eve inside by yourself watching a programme on its effect on western culture? No? Step aside.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I was in two minds about including this. I do indeed love Buffy and believe it is one of the greatest television shows ever made (did you catch my 20th-anniversary blog?). However, my lack of access to digital channels did mean that my viewing was patchy, and I didn't watch it episode-to-episode until my early twenties. Either way, I will never tire of dissecting Buffy.

Veronica Mars

We all remember our first attempt at illegal online streaming, and this was mine. I caught the first season of Veronica Mars on E4 then.....nothing. So sneaking around online it was. But in all seriousness, this show was smart, had a sassy female lead (with a funky name) and a brilliant soundtrack. What's not to love?

The Powerpuff Girls

I told a white lie earlier; we actually did have ITV Digital for one year when my dad managed to blag a year's free subscription. Much to my parent's dismay, I glued myself to the Cartoon Network with The Powerpuff Girls being my programme of choice. I was a tomboy for a bit and fancied myself as a bit of a Buttercup even though I could barely throw a punch. I ended up with the nickname Mojojojo (naturally) for the last bit of primary school (I've never quite forgiven my childhood best friend for that one).

Bliss Magazine

Do magazines count as a fandom? Because I bought them religiously and even marked the release of the upcoming issue in my diary. Girl Talk was my natural introduction to magazines, before a brief fling with Shout during the summer between primary and high school, then finally settling on the monthly Bliss and weekly Sneak as my magazine subscriptions of choice.

I know neither could be described as 'geeky' per se, but when you're growing up in a non-geeky household and your friends also don't fit the geek mould, that was the best pop culture literature I had access to. Saying that, teenage magazines were amazing and I still firmly believe they were largely a good thing.

Harry Potter

I actually didn't get into Harry Potter until my late teens...and I started by watching 5th film in 2007 because why the hell not? The final two films were the only ones where I had read the book beforehand.

Can you remember your earliest fandoms?

mòrag

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geek glasgow

I visited the new Glee Comedy Club in Glasgow and had a really grand time

If you're ever looking to bump into me on purpose (which I'm sure you all are), attend some comedy shows in Glasgow and I'm guaranteed to show up at some point. For the purpose of this blog, I've even worked out that I've attended an average of four comedy shows a month since September (this is when I fell into the rabbit hole that is Glasgow comedy scene).

And because I can't quite get enough laughs in my life and four times a month isn't enough, I just had to check out the new Glee Comedy Club in Glasgow within weeks of its grand opening. (I wasn't previously familiar with Glee Clubs, but they are a chain of comedy clubs with venues already in Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham and Oxford, so they're a big deal)

Now, don't get me wrong I love the indie comedy nights I regularly attend in Glasgow (there is a blog on that half-finished in my drafts, but this blog is nipping ahead because Glee is topical and stuff). But almost all of these shows take place in a pub basement and sometimes you have to sit on those uncomfortable folding chairs with no padding. Look, I love a pub (there's booze) and I love a comedy show (there are giggles) but sometimes a girl wants a bit of glamour with her laughs.

And that's the gap in the market that Glee fills. Not only does it put on weekly comedy shows, but it also boasts a generous food and drinks menu, and - as I would find out when I attended last night - it's also stylish and well-decorated.

It's not bad value either. I won myself a discount code on Facebook for 50% off so me and my friend Emma (of Eat with Emma) managed to book ourselves a Show & Dinner Deal for £10 each. Normally it's £20 (which is still not bad!) and you can order your food in advance. You can choose from three pre-packaged meal choices (which is what we chose), or you can order a show ticket and add on some food from the wider menu. You can also pre-order your drinks, which includes cocktail pitchers, beer pitches (they looked a bit scary), and a bottle of wine.

And since most people who read my blog are looking for vegan content and I need to stay on-brand: there's vegan food. Quite a bit actually. I pre-ordered the Penang Curry as part of a pre-packaged deal, but the wider menu includes a vegan Margherita pizza (which I also ordered, because food) and a superfood salad. Plus there is fish finger sandwich, and a Portobello Mushroom burger that can be veganised! They even mark out which of their alcoholic drinks are vegan (if you're new here, drinks companies use fish bladders to give drinks that clear look...eurgh). And my pizza came with a lemon-scented hand wipe!

I know the next part of this review/rave is going to sound boring and like I'm turning into my mother, but bear with me. I'm a nervous person and a massive planner who hates leaving things to chance so I really appreciated the detailed confirmation e-mail (maybe it's the marketer in me who loves an informative e-mail). It had the normal things like confirming what show I had reserved, and for how many people. But it also confirmed that I didn't need to bring my email and instead just say my name at the desk, that we have been allocated a seat already, the rules of the club, and how I can add extra food and drink to my order. When we arrived a note was automatically sent to the kitchen to prepare our food.

(Note: the only thing I didn't like was that you couldn't choose your seats. Thankfully, Emma and I ended up three rows back, but you could see the terror on a group's face when they realised they had the front row...lol).

So there's vegan food, and a snazzy confirmation e-mail, but what about the actual comedy?

Aye, that was good too. Glee Club stages have been graced by some of the UK's most famous comedians and to get on the stage, you have to be experienced. So while I do love an indie comedy show where I discover new and local talent...it's nice to go in and know that you'll be watching comedians who have perfected their craft.

The comedians on last night were Rosco Mcclelland, Scott Gibson, Eleanor Tiernan & Ben Norris - and every single one of them made me clench my sides with laughter. Especially Eleanor when she talked openly about what it's like to be a vagina owner and how you never know "what will seep out of it next". I was remarking to Emma that it's refreshing to hear someone talk about a vagina on stage because (while I can appreciate dick humour) I can't relate (or always understand) when someone talks about having a penis, and a man turned around in front of us and said he agreed!

And just one final thing: the decor. It was still in a basement because apparently comedians really like a basement. But it was a trendy basement, with portraits of famous Scottish comedians on the wall, wooden panels on the floor, hipster lighting, and flowers in the toilets. I'm not complaining.

Seriously though, the staff at Glee Club offered some of the best customer service I've ever received anywhere, the comedians made me choke with laughter, and there was vegan food. Hands down, one of the best places in Glasgow for a low-key night out. It's a new favourite, and I might find my average number of comedy nights per month rise.

Glee is open Friday and Saturday, and you can book your tickets in advance on their website. The venue is on Renfrew Street, beside the giant Cineworld and opposute The Flying Duck.

mòrag

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Fringe Favourites: Cruel Intentions the 90s Musical

The 10 best Eurovision songs ever, according to me

Lordi

Jedward

Lena

Softengine

Ruth Lorenzo

Hanna Pakarinen

The Ark

Precious

Selma

Gina G

My earliest fandoms and pop culture obsessions

The Babysitters Club

Hollyoaks

Scream

Friends

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Veronica Mars

The Powerpuff Girls

Bliss Magazine

Harry Potter

I visited the new Glee Comedy Club in Glasgow and had a really grand time

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