A student-led musical has strayed away from the typical and made an effort to “find the joy in who you are” while tackling themes of neurodivergence and the objectification of women

‘Be More Chill’ is a novel that was published in 2004, and then later adapted into an off-Broadway musical. Last night was opening night for students performing it at The University of Sheffield.

The story follows a 16-year-old outcast, Jeremy, who takes “SQUIP” , a computer programmed pill which makes you popular, in turn affecting his friendships and personal life.

The musicals deals with themes of insecurity, neurodivergence and the relatable struggle of “trying to fit in.”

Alice Bell, 20, has made her directorial debut with this play, and has made an effort to portray the struggle of new-age teenagers with musical word-play. She has tried to approach the script with a fresh perspective, highlighting the normalisation of neurodivergence and beauty standards in the production. 

Alice said “The commentary that the story has about the dangers of internet culture and rise of red-pill incel mentality really resonated with me within the script.” 

Jeremy, the lead of the musical, goes through a journey where he is expected to change himself to be seen. The director believes that the pressure still prevails in teenage boys online, and it is important to connect the dots to the issues of inclusivity faced right now. 

The presentation of the women in the play has a deliberate mark in their persona as opposed to what the main character thinks about them. This ranges from the sexualisation of women through the character’s lens after he has been “squipped.”  

The director and choreographer have tried to portray this contrast through the song “Do you wanna ride” which essentially sexualises women to show the internet’s mentality of how women are perceived. 

Alice said: “All these women have more about them, but that is not what is seen and to show that divide is what we have tried to do.”

“Characters like Sandy from Grease or Cady from Mean Girls are essentially pretty underneath the glasses, but our characters don’t fit in the typical mould.”

Esther Scourse, 18, plays the character of Michael, an outcast friend of Jeremy who is eventually left out after his friend gets popular. The character of Michael plays a major role in commenting on societal standards.

As opposed to most coming-of-age productions, the cast in this production is actually of or close to the age of the characters in the novel.

Esther said: “I think sometimes teenagers and children aren’t played with as much respect and knowledge that they do, which is usually not seen when they are played by adults.”

The Performing Arts Society had its opening night on Thursday, 28 November and the shows run till the night of Saturday, 30 November at the Drama Studio in Sheffield.