Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
REVIEW: WE ARE THE TIGERS Melds Musical Theatre With American High School Tropes And Horror With Hilarious Outcomes
WE ARE THE TIGERS
By: Jade Kops
Friday 23rd October 2026, 7:30pm, Hayes Theatre Potts Point (In Season show reviewed)
Preston Max Allen’s (Music, Lyrics, Book) WE ARE THE TIGERS Is an American teen coming of age story with a deadly twist. Presented by Cheers Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co, this female forward musical comedy, led by Chiara Assetta, making her directorial (also Choreographer) debut, tackles a range of teens and young women in the modern world.
The premise of the work, that plot wise feels like a cross over of BRING IT ON and HEATHERS in terms of it being centred on high school cheerleading and power tripping ‘ends justify the means’ horror, is that the cheerleading squad from the affluent Giles Corey High are meeting for their annual pre-season sleepover party, hosted by new captain Riley (Brianna Bishop). With an oddball group of cheerleaders to manage for the new year, those willing to remain after the horror that was the previous years’ final performance that went ‘viral’ for all the wrong reasons, Riley is adamant that her legacy will be a successful team before she graduates. As they team are introduced it quickly becomes clear that this assortment of teens are facing many of the challenges teens, particularly girls, have faced for years. Fat shaming, fitting in socially, succeeding academically, falling foul of peer pressure, bullying, teenage sex, sexuality, drinking and drug use all come into play as their bonding night turns deadly and plots are hatched.
With the majority of the story taking place at Riley’s home, Set Designer Alice Vance has turned the Hayes Theatre stage into a representation of a well-appointed house, Riley lives in a gated community after all. A segment of stage enables the exterior of the home to be represented but the story predominantly takes place in the basement, kitchen and bathroom of the house which is presented to enable vertical variety and sufficient space for Assetta’s choreography. Lily Mateljan’s costuming keeps the girls casual for a sleepover and other practice meets while ensuring their characters are quickly identified as typical cheerleader, self-proclaimed style icon, conservative Christian, gymnastic athletes attending under sufferance and neurodivergent quirky girl that loves colour and texture.
Following in the footsteps of angsty teen stories like Heathers and Jawbreaker, bitchy queen bee stories like Mean Girls and Bring It On, WE ARE THE TIGERS is another nod to the genre but this time not basing the plot off a movie. Filled with easy music, repeated motifs and fun choreography, the ‘freeze frame’ fight is priceless, this is an easy comedy musical, well cast with performers that not only nail the songs and choreography but also bring the comic timing and reactions. It isn’t terribly groundbreaking, but the themes are universal and need to keep being told so that teen girls and young women see their issues on stage and maybe conversations will keep opening up to support them and prevent the downward spirals that can occur when left unchecked.
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