Newstead College's Heathers The Musical will premiere this week

The new production and "teen edition" of the West End show will open on Wednesday, August 16, at the college's auditorium.

Heathers: The Musical follows Veronica Sawyer as she despairs her low status in the Westerberg High School's social hierarchy and attempts to break through its glass ceiling by joining a cliquey group composed solely of girls named Heather.

What she finds, though, is that things aren't what they seem from the outside.

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The high-energy black comedy was written by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe and is based on the 1989 film Heathers, starring Winona Ryder.

The show's director, Alarna Hingston, previously told The Examiner the musical is a "cross between Carrie and Mean Girls".

The 32-strong Newstead College cast and 18-person crew - which make it the school's most significant production since their 2016 showing of The Little Mermaid - have rehearsed three times weekly for the last six months.

The brother pair of Campbell and Ethan Stebbings star in the production as the villainous best friends Kurt Kelley and Ram Sweeney - a duo who taunt and tease their way through the high school.

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Ethan, who plays Ram Sweeney, said he and Campbell play "awful, misogynistic jocks who represent the worst in society."

"We're a bit of a toxic partnership who are very bad people," Ethan said.

"It's been a joy to play such a difficult character and step into something that is so far removed from who we really are."

Ethan previously performed in Newstead College's rendition of Freaky Friday in 2022, which he said gave him the confidence to be one of Heathers' leads.

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"After six months of rehearsals, you lean into it and shelve those nerves a little bit," he said.

"The nerves just kind of go, and you just say, 'Okay, you've got this'."

Heathers: The Musical is rife with dark subject matter, including bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault and school violence, and Ethan said he and all his cast mates had taken a great deal from its themes.

"What we've taken away as a message is that words affect people," he said.

"I think the show tells you that you shouldn't cave into other people's pressure; do things because they're right."

Heathers: The Musical will premiere on August 16 and run until August 19 at Newstead College Auditorium, with tickets available via the College office.

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