Sure, his kisses are kind of gross - but maybe he’s just not very good at it? And doesn’t every young woman fantasize about their girlfriends’ long, lean legs? Nevertheless, one day, she comes home to find that her family and friends have staged an intervention. She’s blonde, gets good grades, goes to church, and is dating a football player. After all, the chipper 17-year-old protagonist of But I’m A Cheerleader is a poster child for the All-American Girl. We’re so pleased the team at the Turbine have staged yet another gem of a production hopefully it will achieve queer cult classic status like the film.Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne) doesn’t believe that she’s a lesbian. Do these minor quibbles matter? Not at all. Are some of the songs a bit chaotic? Yes, but the music is mostly excellent, and there’s some seriously impressive vocal talent on display amongst the cast. Does every punchline land perfectly? Not quite, but the jokes come thick and fast with a decent hit rate. We had an absolute blast with But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical. Tiffany Graves is perfectly cast as headmistress Mary Aaron Teoh moved us to tears with a song about wrestling (yes, really) and the always-brilliant Jodie Steele, who we adored in Heathers: The Musical on the West End, pretty much steals every scene with a hilarious one-liner or some wonderful physical comedy.
There are no weak links in the cast, but we particularly enjoyed Alice Croft in the lead role, who has some wonderful moments – especially in the second act, with a great song and some witty punchlines concerning how to live like a lesbian.
This may sound an unusual pitch – a comedy which tackles the issue of conversion therapy – but this irreverent musical really is funny and heartwarming in equal measure. Under the strict tutelage of headmistress Mary Brown (the hilarious Tiffany Graves) she undergoes a five-step programme with the intention of unlearning her sexual yearnings, but while there she meets the tomboy-ish Graham (Evie Rose Lane) and… well, we won’t spoil what happens. However, things take a turn when those closest to her suspect her of being a lesbian and send Megan off to True Directions, a rehabilitation centre which will, supposedly, set her straight. It tells the story of Megan (Alice Croft), the all-American high school cheerleader who, on the surface, seemingly has the perfect life – a high achiever with a steady boyfriend and loving family. For those unfamiliar, it’s a quirky coming-of-age comedy about sexual awakening and self-realisation. But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical is no exception – it’s a wonderfully camp take on the cult queer classic film from 1999. We’ve been big fans of the Turbine Theatre since it opened back in 2019 – whether reviving important queer stories like Torch Song or My Night With Reg, or programming new and joyous shows like My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?), their work has consistently impressed us.