The source material for Clueless is famously Jane Austen’s matchmaking novel Emma, and coming of age comedy featuring wrong-headed Cher Horowitz is more lightly-spun sugar than sharp satire.
Still, translating Austen’s entitled but well-meaning heiress to a Beverly Hills princess – and Regency mores to the cliques and codes of high school popularity – proved a huge hit for Amy Heckerling.
While there are no showstopping ballads, the show has a terrific energy – thanks to choreographer Lizzi Gee, while costume designer Paloma Young serves up the iconic looks from the movie.
There are some great full cast numbers She’s All That and a Bag of Chips, swing club showdown Got My Eye On You, and and a funny takedown of ego-driven airhead Elton.
Emma Flynn is in fine voice as the irrepressible teen meddling in other people’s love lives while failing to pay attention to her own. Slater’s lyrics light-heartedly suggest an obsession with control and perfection has obstructed her own happiness.
Flynn nails Cher’s charm and the physical comedy of her failed seduction of a gay classmate, while Romona Lewis-Malley is the goofy new girl Tai whose makeover ends up spawning a monster.
The script is at times too compressed and rushes character arcs, while sticking to gag payoffs that reference Twin Peaks and Mel Gibson – all of which flew over my teenager’s head.
Oddly for a show written and directed by women, the gender tropes are not ageing well. It’s clear Legally Blonde owes a debt to Clueless, but at least fashion-obsessed, seemingly shallow Elle got to be a crack lawyer, while Cher is a terrible driver who flunks her grades and is merely warm-hearted.
Clueless runs at Trafalgar Studios, West End www.cluelessonstage.com
