Carrie: The Musical
As both a fan of the original Stephen King novel and the 1976 movie, I was keen to experience this musical adaptation. Unfortunately, my seat meant I was unable to see much of the show, and for that reason I don’t feel I can give a balanced account or a fair rating.
That said, from what I could see and hear, this seemed to be a competent and well-produced staging of the material, and the vocal deliveries were for the most part strong. The actor playing Tommy in particular sounded fantastic.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t an original piece of writing for the Fringe. The musical adaptation, written by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford and Lawrence D. Cohen, originally premiered on Broadway in 1988 (famously closing after just five performances) and was later revived, and significantly reworked, off-Broadway in 2012 by MCC Theater. The musical, for better or worse, eschews much of the horror and foreboding of King’s book, leaning instead towards the caustic camp of dark teen comedies like Heathers. Many of the central themes remain timeless, but through a 2026 lens I couldn’t help seeing parallels with school shootings and other similar incidents of violence born from alienation and disenfranchisement.
Given the situation with the seating, I don’t feel able to strongly recommend this production, however it certainly seemed like a show that most fans of musical theatre would enjoy.
