16-year-old Klara Hammudeh reviews the West End musical version of the Meryl Streep smash-hit movie
Georgie Buckland as Andy (left) and Amy Di Bartolomeo as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre, London.
February 7, 2025
The Devil Wears Prada still works, but today’s Miranda Priestly would not be able to bully Gen Z
As a young journalist who some day wants to dive into the world of fashion, The Devil Wears Prada, the new West End musical, was a must for me. The show, described by Vogue’s legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as “entertaining and fun”, was a thought-provoking experience.
The musical was inspired by the 2003 book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, who once worked for Wintour, as well as the subsequent 2006 film starring Meryl Streep as terrifying editor Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as her put-upon assistant Andy.
The music – composed by Elton John, with lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick – was one of the strongest features of the show. I especially enjoyed one of the final numbers, Miranda’s ‘Stay On Top’, which presented her as a woman who would stop at nothing to stay at the helm of Runway magazine.
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Harbingers' Klara Hammudeh and OXSFJ Director Stas Skarzynski during the interval at the Dominion Theatre, London. December 2024.
The cast did their job perfectly, with Grammy-award winner Vanessa Williams as Miranda, Georgie Buckland as Andy and Amy Di Bartolemeo as Emily. The costumes, an endless stream of top-quality designer items by the likes of Fendi and Prada (of course), also worked well. Main characters and dancers alike were dressed in iconic designer pieces.
The sets also perfectly defined each place needed to tell the story. They were very precise and detailed – for example, the assistants’ desks included filled planners next to vintage computers.
There were a few differences from the 2006 movie. We never saw Miranda’s twin daughters, and an iconic prop – Miranda Priestly’s notebook – was also missing. We also never got an introduction to any parts of Andy’s private life except for her boyfriend. Despite these differences, the show, staged at London’s Dominion Theatre (tickets are currently available until mid-October), doesn’t feel empty and is a complete work.
The real question is, would Miranda still be the devil wearing Prada if she had to hire a Gen Z assistant in her office? As someone who will enter the workforce in a few years, I wondered: what would I do if I was her assistant? Would I be able to stand up to her to save my private life?
Definitely. I would be there to fetch her coffee and steak. To help her find (or, rather, find for her) the Harry Potter manuscript, but all this should never interfere with my private life, which I deal with after working hours. There’s no reason why I should be answering her phone calls at 3am, just to help her choose a coat or deal with the fact that she can’t sleep. It would be too much!
I would be her assistant, not a servant.
Both the movie and musical showed me the worst of what to expect from workplaces in the future. I hope I will know where to draw the line between work and private life, and to not abandon one of them.
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