A dark parody of 80s high-school movies, cult classic Heathers is an odd choice for musical adaptation.

The 1989 film starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater as misfit teens who murder some of their bullying tormentors. It’s got guns, rape and attempted suicides.

Together with director Andy Fickman, Kevin Murphy and Legally Blonde the Musical’s Laurence O’Keefe have created a slightly sanitised version with mostly forgettable songs.

Nevertheless, Heathers the Musical has found an enthusiastic audience. Since its 2014 Off-Broadway debut, this show has toured the UK multiple times, including the West End, is currently enjoying an Off-Broadway revival, and is now in Australia for a second professional outing following the 2015-16 debut tour.

Heathers the Musical. Photo © Cameron Grant, Perenthesy

Conjuring an extremely American high-school milieu, the local, mostly young cast is impressively led by Emma Caporaso in her professional theatre debut.

She plays Veronica, an ordinary girl who unexpectedly becomes a fringe member of Westerberg High’s powerful, nasty social clique, the Heathers, so called because the trio are all named Heather.

Veronica simultaneously falls for new kid JD,...