Heathers and TikTok both landed in the UK in 2018 – what do they say about the state of new musicals?

At Musical Con today, producer Paul Taylor-Mills will reflect on 15 years of producing – unveiling plans for new projects set to greet audiences in 2026. Taylor-Mills’ great success story in recent memory is the international hit Heathers – which will return next year for another tour, another London run and international outings. It is also currently playing to strong audience and critical praise in New York. Taylor-Mills reflects on the transformative last seven years with the show.

It amuses me that both TikTok and Heathers both landed on UK shores in the same year, 2018, because it feels like a show that has been amplified by this online fandom – clips of costume changes, Heathers character entrances and more. Can you reflect a bit on how social media has allowed this show to change the game?

The Heathers versus the social media world of it all is one that will never be straight forward. Hours and hours of time is spent each week with experts around the world (who are much smarter than I!) advising us on the what they believe will help give fans insights into parts of the show they haven’t before. To work out ways that we can evolve the fan base, and keep our current ‘corn-nuts’ engaged, but importantly how we protect the show and most importantly the people that work on the show.

We’re also acutely aware that Heathers exists because “slime tutorials” that were online which helped build a fandom. However, that doesn’t stop us having a duty of care to our current company’s ensuring that we do what we can to protect them and their craft. I’ve worked on the show from day dot and see the good, the bad and the everything else. Ultimately though, what a privilege it is to have a fandom for a show that care so deeply for a show that you get to produce.

In 2018, there was no TikTok, it was all Twitter. As the show has grown, we’ve tried to come away from anything that opens up opinions on comparison, hearsay or idle gossip. Most of this way of communicating had no context and went against the roots of what the show was. The key instead was to celebrate each others’ differences, making no one feel “other” and also that learning from mistakes is okay – and human.

We lent into everything that made Heathers the joyful sucker punch that it is. Big Fun Days, sing-a-longs , promoting fan art, cos-play etc. We want to use social media to celebrate its exceptional music, celebrate its iconic ’80s visuals and the performers that steps on those stages around the world as our mallet holding protectors.

New York has been an almighty success – some solid notices, strong audiences – has it surprised you just how quickly the Big Apple has been down for Big Fun?

It’s fair to say that Heathers has broken many many records for an off-Broadway production. It’s difficult to get into the weeds of it all because box offices off-Broadway aren’t published, and Heathers is a gigantic show in a relatively small house for its sheer scale. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that Heathers is in its right home at New World Stages. I’ve been asked questions about the rumours about when we are moving to Broadway house… why on earth would we do that!? We are currently in a theatre where audiences are able to afford tickets and play to packed out houses with a range of ticket prices. THIS is the Heathers my partners and I want to produce.

From a business perspective, how significant is international touring for the long-term future of Heathers?

This time next year Heathers will have (hopefully!) enjoyed another London run, a UK tour, and an Australia and New Zealand tour – plus a North American tour is in the works for early 2027. Followed by many many other territories to keep us very busy. None of this has happened by mistake. Together Bill Kenwright and I worked with Kevin Murphy, Larry O’Keefe and Andy Fickman and our troupe of amazing creatives and casts over many years to create a brand that has been become a piece of musical theatre history. It was also always important to Bill and I to find ways of getting young people into the theatre. The ticket price had to be as cheap as possible for the Corn nuts who were coming back again and again. And we did everything in our power to make sure that can continue to happen – wherever it plays in the world.

What do you think it is about Heathers that resonates with audiences around the world, beyond its 1980s American high school setting?

Heathers at its core is about what it’s like to be an outsider. What it’s like to feel other and what risks we’ll take to be the cool kid. You put this into a mixing bowl with an incredible score and book, unforgettable ear worms, a killer cast and creative team – and it’s the closest I think you’ll get to what makes the perfect musical. It’s been the biggest honour of my life being able to collect awards on behalf of the show and the people that make it. But the real honour is being able to speak parents, about the difficult conversations the show has facilitated – that might not have otherwise happened.

One other key aspect has been seeing stars having debuts in Heathers; amassing huge fandoms and then allowing those fandoms to help platform other shows – do you think that’s now a model for the developing future audiences of new musicals?  

One of the most beautiful things about Heathers is that it has regularly created stars who have then left the show and gone onto exceptional and deserved careers. Even when performers have come to us with a “following”, there has never been a situation where a performer has been cast in the show unless they’re right for the role – have you heard that material!? There’s no way we’d throw someone in it in the hope that they could busk it. We’re rigorous when it comes to casting the show and you can either do it or you can’t. The Heathers alumni list is quite long – but the rule is and will always be that the show is always the star – and I think it speaks volumes about the show, its pedigree, and its ability to live on and on that such incredible artists want to be apart of it.