Cruel Intentions, which is currently based on the 1990s cult classic film of the same title is currently embarking on a UK and Ireland tour after a successful run at The Other Palace last year. We took the opportunity to speak with Luke Conner Hall, who plays Blaine Tuttle in the show, to tell us more.
Q) Hello - Before we begin, please could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit more about Cruel Intentions and your character?
Cruel Intentions is a 90s cult film, which has a massive following. It's obviously got a really amazing cast from back then, with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe. What the musical tries to do is comment on what is already a brilliant script and quite a saucy, raunchy story and it adds in a lot of 90s songs and makes it more tongue in cheek than the film is on its own. Basically, my character of Blaine is one of the more supporting characters, but he is a social climber, he is kind of only out for himself and he has his own agenda, and he seems to have a lot of pull in this world and Sebastian knows that, so he uses me [Blaine] to get information out of a different character, which is Greg, in order to kind of get closer to his goal of winning Annette round.
Q) What was it about this show that piqued your interest and made you want to be involved? Were you a fan of the film before this process?
I can't say I was a fan because I hadn't seen it. I hadn't seen the film, but I had seen the production at The Other Palace last year and I enjoyed it. I think the main thing that piqued my interest was the music, to be quite honest with you. I watched the film when I was going to be auditioning, and it definitely is of its time and is that sort of awkward kind of American, lot of subtext, and it's very serious, a lot more serious than I was expecting it to be. But I think what I liked about the musical was the music made it less serious and it made it more approachable. So yeah, the music, the soundtrack, that was the thing, because every song that came on was just a bop, it was great, loving it.
Q) Do you feel like some of the concepts in Cruel Intentions have any current cultural relevance and why do you think these concepts are still important to explore 25 years later?
I think it's very of its time, the script is obviously of its time, and a lot of the stuff is in there to shock, there's a lot of shock value and it was written with the idea of being kind of out there and a little bit wild. A lot of that still stands. A lot of the language is going to be a little bit shocking for some people to hear, but I was actually a bit nervous about coming on the tour. Because, obviously there's quite a lot of intimacy between the characters and it's something I didn't have experience of. I was talking to one of my friends about that, saying "oh God, I'm really nervous about my parents coming, my friends and family coming to see, it's a bit raunchy" because a lot of these characters are very young, and I was saying "oh God they're being very sexual and they're all very young and still in high school" and my friend said to me, "well, were you not like that at that age?" and I stopped and was like "oh you know, well I wasn't conniving or manipulative but actually, this kind of is something that young people go through, this kind of sexual awakening and all that, and coming of age." So I guess if you look at it that way, then yeah we're not doing anything that regular high schoolers would have eventually got up to, I guess. So it kind of put it all into perspective for me, but having said that, it's definitely a little bit more than just coming of age, there's a lot of nastiness and raunchiness which I don't think sets a very good example, but there is an age restriction for that very reason. I do think it speaks a lot about fitting in, all these characters are trying to fit in, they're trying to be popular, they're trying to get what they want and it's similar to what we do these days on social media, everyone is just trying to fit in, aren't they?
Q) Cruel Intentions had such a great reception during its run at The Other Palace - can the audience expect a similar production or have some things been adapted?
Similar in terms that the script is the same, and the songs are almost all the same, but there are a lot of changes as well. We don't have a revolve this time, so we don't have that. We also have a few changes to the opening, a different opening number. Actually, yeah, I think they really honed into the tongue-in-cheek humour this time and the commenting on it and being in on the joke. I think that was really drilled into us a bit more maybe, I mean I don't know I wasn't there the first time.
Q) This musical is a jukebox musical and prior to working on this show, you worked on The Choir of Man at the Arts Theatre in London, which is another jukebox musical. What’s your stance on jukebox musicals and why do you think these kinds of musicals do so well?
Well, they're just familiar. So I think depending on whatever the demographic is as well, so you know if you have an 80s jukebox musical, or a 70s jukebox musical, which a lot of them do kind of focus on, then that's going to have a different demographic of audience. But with something like Cruel Intentions, its 90s so that's all people who watched the film. But with Choir of Man, there's quite a mixture of stuff in there, that's just not one era. So I think the beauty of jukebox musicals is the possibilities are kind of endless, and sometimes it's quite fun to find songs that fit certain storylines and, I think a lot of people would say that they don't like the crow-barring of songs into this and that, but actually a lot of pop songs have been written with a lot more care than you realise. I love them, I mean we had a word with our musical director yesterday and he was talking about the song Bittersweet Symphony, and obviously that's just a great 90s song, but he was saying about how when it was written, he read it out word for word, not how it is in the musical, but it is about all the different parts of life and basically trying to fit in, and how you're going to have ups and you're going to have downs. It kind of comes right at the end of the show when [spoiler alert], we've just had a Remembrance service for Sebastian, but we're all about to start our new term of school and we're all going to have to get on with our lives. It's just interesting because all of these people who might say that jukebox musicals are shallow or this and that, I actually don't think they have to be. I think everyone loves the music, so you're already onto a winner. I mean, they're not all going to work, but if nothing else, our show definitely puts the music at the centre of attention, I would say, and allows people to enjoy the songs. We comment on the fact that we are going to sing The Spice Girls, and yes you can laugh.
Q) Referring back to The Choir of Man - whilst the show had characters, there was an element of intertwining your own personal stories. Do you find it more or less challenging to tell your own story on stage or put yourself in the shoes of a character? What are the pros/cons of both?
I'd say it's probably easier to step into a character, because I've always been told you have to be careful using your own experiences on stage because it can be quite uncontrollable. Obviously, Choir of Man runs quite close to the bone, to be honest, with Choir of Man, you can put in whatever you want to put in, they don't force you. A lot of us tried to put a lot of our personal stuff in because we then get more of a connection ourselves, so it's just whatever you're comfortable with. But with a character, it's all there and it's all there ready for you and I look at it as, almost like a suit of armour that I step into when I'm being someone else rather than me. So in terms of what's easier, I think probably being in character is easier for me personally. Because, there were a few days on Choir of Man, where if you weren't feeling completely 100% on something that day, and you have to go and talk about yourself and relive things in the show, it can be quite difficult. We had a few moments where a lot of us would, you know, have a little wobbly day and we would have to rally around each other a little bit, but there's also a kind of beauty in that, so I don't know, it depends on who you ask probably.
Q) What is your favourite thing about your character and do you feel like you relate or have any similarities to your character?
I relate to my character in terms of, he covers a lot up with his flamboyancy and kind of, quick wittedness and his bitchiness sort of thing. I think, underneath that, he's actually a little bit more insecure than he lets on. I guess, none of this part was re-written for me and this is what I've just thought about, but I think it is all a little bit of a cover. So I really do relate to that, covering up for things because you don't want to let on how you are, maybe fully, because you just want to get on with your day and it can be a little bit hard to talk about. So I do relate to that.
One of my favourite things about this character is that I'm always with Greg, apart from one scene, I'm always with Greg. And it's really nice to have a partner in Joe Simmons, who plays Greg, because he's just been a dream to work with and I just have to say it's really nice to have that support system and he's kind of like a rock on stage for me. We do very much feel like a team unit and I think that's been one of my favourite things in the whole process.
Q) Cruel Intentions is currently touring the UK - how has the audience reception been so far and how are you finding touring after working on the West End?
It's going well, you know. It's my first UK tour - I've done a little bit in the past but it's my first proper full taste of it. It's really nice, there's a lot of vary, the theatres vary like the size and stuff which is very interesting. It's nice to meet all different people and different crews and stuff, it's really nice. Touring after working on the West End is very different. I'm used to being in my own bed all the time and enjoying my home comforts and having all my friends around me in London. So to drop all that and to come and be on tour in different places is a massive change, it's very different. But, it's kind of nice to be in a point of my life where I don't have too many responsibilities that I can't leave. It's nice to have the opportunity to do that.
Audience reception has been lovely. It's been really nice, I think a lot of the fans of the film are going to be really excited. There were some people in Wimbledon who came dressed up in costume, which was really fun. It was really nice to come back into London actually and do that. I think it would have been nicer to do that a little bit later on after we had a little bit more experience under our belt and do London later, but it's been good. It's been really good, the laughs have been really good. They've been really enjoying the jokes, they're going down well. We've got a lot of laughs in there and the audience do seem to be enjoying themselves, and they seem to be laughing at all the right moments. Whenever there's a song, we do here a little titter of laughter which is like, yes! we want that, we want you to enjoy it.
Q) Why should audiences come along to see Cruel Intentions?
I think you can come expecting a silly time. I think if people come expecting that and wanting that, wanting to laugh and wanting to kind of be shocked and be surprised at what we're saying and what we're doing, I think you'll have a good time.
Q) Just a fun question to finish off - if you could see one other cult classic be transformed for the stage - what would you choose and why?
Oooh - that's hard! That's really difficult, a really difficult question. Oooh, a cult classic. They've all already been done, this is the problem. Yeah, we're running out of options. I mean, at what point does something become a cult classic, you know? Because I think of films that, I don't think that are actually that old, but I don't know whether they're culty. I mean, I don't know if you've seen Bridesmaids, I mean I don't know what that counts as but if that's a cult classic, then I'd love that to be a musical in the future.
Cruel Intentions is currently embarking on a UK and Ireland tour until June 2025.
Photography by Pamela Raith
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