The world’s best-loved musical, Grease, opened at Mayflower Theatre last night to a auditorium of, what seemed to be, more pink ladies than people.
Set in the 1959, Grease follows the story of leather-clad Danny and girl-next-door Sandy when they are unexpectedly reunited at Rydell High School after a whirlwind summer romance. But, can they survive the trials and tribulations of teenage life and find true love once more?
The musical was first staged in 1971, although most people are probably more familiar with the 1978 film, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, which is still a firm fan favourite today.
The storyline of both the play and the film are pretty similar, but with a few differences – this version uses more original source material, which can mean it’s not quite as snappy as some of the previous runs.
The set design is vibrant and transports the audience back to the 1950s with ease, complete with neon lights, a car, and retro diner – all helping to bring Rydell High to life, with the costumes perfectly capturing 1950s’ fashion in its entirety.
One of the show’s strengths is the spectacular choreography, by Dame Arlene Phillips, and with a large ensemble who were foot perfect, her decades of West End and Broadway experience were very evident.
The live orchestra adds an extra energy to the score that some audience members found extremely hard not to join in with – many around us were jigging and singing along to You’re the One That I Want and Greased Lightnin’. Personally, I was slightly disappointed that We Go Together came in the first act, as it meant that when I heard it again at the end it had less of an impact.
Marley Fenton is engaging as Danny Zuko, and Hope Dawe captures Sandy’s innocence and rawness well, but the stand out has to be Rebecca Stenhouse as Rizzo – her rendition of There Are Worse Things I Could Do was both captivating and emotional.
In all, Grease is a fun and energetic night out and if you are a fan of the music or the film you won’t be disappointed.
It’s electrifying!
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