Stage Adaptation of 'Thelma & Louise' Opens at Young Vic to Mixed Reception

A stage musical adaptation of "Thelma & Louise" has opened at the Young Vic in London, according to a review published by The Guardian's Culture section.

The 1991 Ridley Scott film starred Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two women who become fugitives after a girls' weekend takes a violent turn. The Guardian review notes the film was not initially received as an obvious feminist statement but came to be regarded as what it calls an "era-defining feminist parable" about freedom from male strictures and abuse, with the film's title becoming shorthand for female solidarity.

According to the review, the new stage version includes a book written by Callie Khouri, the original screenwriter of the film, a detail the reviewer highlights as notable given the production's shortcomings.

Despite this direct creative link to the source material, the Guardian critic writes that the musical adaptation lacks both the emotional depth and the quality of songs that the reviewer believes the story deserves. The review also raises questions about specific staging choices, including the absence of a central visual element from the film — the car — in the theatrical production.

The review characterizes the overall production as "bland and baffling," suggesting the adaptation represents a departure from what made the original film culturally significant, including its cinematography and its ending, which departed from typical Hollywood conventions.

The Guardian's assessment focuses on the production currently running at the Young Vic, a London theater known for staging new and experimental works. The review does not specify additional cast, creative team members beyond Khouri, or the production's planned run dates.