Theatre Review: Mean Girls at The Bristol Hippodrome

The Show: Mean Girls

Where: Bristol Hippodrome

Dates: Tuesday 8th September – Saturday 12th September 2026

Timing: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 20 minute interval)

Rating: ★★★★

Get your pink outfit ready as Bristol hippodrome welcomes the iconic plastics to the stage as it raises its curtain for Mean Girls. This smash hit musical is back as we know and love it but with a few modern twists to keep the production feeling fresh and nostalgic all at the same time.

With an audience packed with such a loyal fan base, the cast had a difficult task taking on such well known and loved characters. Every character was portrayed exceptionally vocally but I would have loved to have seen a few actors bring a bit more of their own flare into their performance to really claim it as their own. At times I felt the acting wasn’t to the same standard as the incredible vocals. However, special mention to Max Gill as Damian and Georgie Buckland as Janis who worked as a fantastic comedic duo, leading the flow and story telling of the whole story. Georgie knows exactly when to strike with her vocals with every phrase feeling expertly balanced. Her rendition of “I’d rather be me” became one of my favourite numbers in the whole show and it was obvious that the audience was in agreement with me.

Casey Nicholaws choreography was a highlight of the show and it brought lots of energy and made every number feel fresh in such a famous and adored musical. This felt like quite a large cast for a professional production but the stage never felt overcrowded. I particularly enjoyed the choreography and staging in “Where Do You Belong” as cast members swiftly switched between portraying high school jocks to band members seamlessly but hilariously. I also really liked all of the costumes, I think it can be difficult to portray high school students as often this is just everyday clothing but Katrina Lindsay had a really fun and tasteful approach to this.

Overall, the set design wasn’t overly complicated but every scene change and prop was well thought through. Every moving part was intentional and found its place in the telling of the story. The lighting was impactful and I really enjoyed the choices in Vivian Panka’s powerful number, “World Burn” which felt slightly different from the rest of the musical but not misplaced.

I left both the first act and the second act singing “Revenge Party” and it’s clear this song is going to be stuck in my head all week – but I’m not complaining! Don’t miss your chance to catch Mean Girls on its first UK tour, head to www.atgtickets.com to book tickets and explore what’s on. Don’t forget “on Wednesdays, we wear pink!”

For those wanting an extra special evening out, you can book your early dinner at The Square Club, nested away on leafy Berkeley Square, before heading down Park Street for your evening at the theatre.

Need to stay the night? The Berkeley Suites offer the ultimate luxury night away, having recently won the Conde-Naste award of excellence.