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Harbingers’ Magazine is a weekly online current affairs magazine written and edited by teenagers worldwide.

harbinger | noun

har·​bin·​ger | \ˈhär-bən-jər\

1. one that initiates a major change: a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology; pioneer.

2. something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come.

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Georgie Buckland as Andy (left) and Amy Di Bartolomeo as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre, London.

Picture courtesy of: The Devil Wears Prada Musical

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The Devil Wears Prada still works, but today’s Miranda Priestly would not be able to bully Gen Z

Rating: filled star filled star filled star filled star filled star

16-year-old Klara Hammudeh reviews the West End musical version of the Meryl Streep smash-hit movie

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.

Picture by: OXSFJ

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.

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  • Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre in London.

    Picture courtesy of: The Devil Wears Prada Musical

  • 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.

    Written by:

    author_bio

    Klara Hammudeh

    Politics Section Editor 2025

    Warsaw, Poland

    Born in 2008 in Warsaw, Poland, Klara joined Harbingers’ Magazine to cover international affairs, crime, and music.

    She joined the magazine in March 2024, writing numerous articles on politics and music. In 2024, she reported on the US presidential elections on the ground and, in February 2025, covered the Middle East crisis from Amman, Jordan. Her strong writing skills led to her appointment as Politics Section Editor in March 2025. Simultaneously, she will serve as the Poland 2025 Presidential Election NewsroomEditor.

    In the future, Klara plans to study psychology, international politics, or criminology, preferably in the United States.

    In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, listening to music, and exploring pop culture—particularly how Broadway and West End adapt classic Disney stories into musicals.

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