Show: Grease The Musical
Date: 20/08/2022
Venue: Dominion Theatre, London
Rating: 8/10
At first I wasn’t too intrigued about the current revival of ‘Grease The Musical’ as I thought it would be the same as all the previous versions, but boy was I wrong! The atmosphere from the moment we walked into the theatre completely immersed us into 1950s America, and that energy continued all the way through the performance until the cast left the stage for the final time. Many people, including my sister, were hoping to see the 1978 film depicted on stage, but I knew from a previous production I had been a part of that this version would have a different premise and plot to the film favourite. For example, Sandy isn’t seen as much in this version but we are still able to understand her heartbreak and realisation that the man she fell in love with at the beach is very different to who he really is. I really enjoyed this version of the show because it felt like there was a lot more storytelling involved and I felt that the songs were weaved into the show with a lot of care and they were carrying the plot as a whole, which every musical should be. I also thought all three disciplines (singing, dancing and acting) were showcased very well in this production and every actor should be very proud of the work they’ve produced during this run!
My favourite element of this production was the wonderful group of actors that brought this show to life. When I first heard about the casting, I was overjoyed to see so many up and coming actors being showcased and some performers who I felt haven’t had the biggest bite of the cherry in their previous jobs, and when watching the show I thought it was cast extremely well. Dan Partridge's performance of Danny contains the style and sleekness of John Travolta’s well known and loved portrayal of the role, but includes his own twist on the much loved role, and his chemistry with Olivia Moore’s sweet and naive portrayal of Sandy was incredible. Olivia has such a strong voice with so much range and I thought her performance in the role was outstanding, but I was very disappointed by the lack of scenes that Sandy is included in during this show. Her presence in the film is much heavier and we see much more of her character development, whereas the stage production seems more focused on Danny’s friends and what his real life is like rather than the one he described to Sandy, and he ends up joining in on his friends' constant mocking of her. However, since her time on stage is very small compared to the film version, it means that her innocent to greaser girl transformation is very lacklustre and there isn’t much build up to that must see moment. Even though the final moments were quite flat, Olivia’s ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ is a beautiful rendition and such a touching tribute to the late great Olivia Newton - John in a spectacular but heartbreaking moment, I was in awe of her every moment she opened her mouth in this performance. The role of Kenickie was played by newcomer Paul French in this production after he, alongside fellow cast mates Dan Partridge and Ellie Kingdon, were shipped over from the UK Tour production to reprise their roles in this production, and from the moment he stepped foot on the stage I knew he was the perfect choice for this role. His energy was so infectious, the chemistry he shared with the rest of the Burger Palace Boys was unmatchable. For me, Kenickie seems one of the hardest roles to cast as you have to choose someone who is very versatile, he is one of the roles that must be a strong actor which a great voice and lots of dance experience as shown in ‘Greased Lightning’, and you couldn’t get someone more versatile than Paul. He carried the story so well and you could see so much character development throughout the show, he gave such an energetic performance and he has such a bright future ahead of him, and I really hope he gets to revisit this role again at some point.
There were many incredible performances in this show but the actor that stood out for me was Jocasta Almgill who played Rizzo. I’ve followed Jocasta’s work very closely over the past few years and I’ve previously loved her performances as Joanne in Rent and Lady Capulet in & Juliet which I was lucky enough to see her portrayal of, she has an incredible voice and I’ve felt that her and Olivia Moore haven’t had the right opportunities to showcase their talent in the previous jobs they’ve had, so it was lovely to see them acing the roles they’ve deserved for such a long time. From the moment Jocasta stepped on the stage, the sassy, fiery side of this character was swung into action and her stage presence was so powerful, every moment she was performing was full of energy and I was so happy with the amount of scenes she was in as I kept wanting more from her. Rizzo is so tough, brutally honest and a hard egg to crack until the second act when we see a softer side to her and she is in a much more vulnerable position, Jocasta’s emotion throughout this scene was eye catching, as Doody was singing his heart out to “Those Magic Changes”, I was continuously watching Jocasta on the other side of the stage, being overcome with fear and struggling to hide her struggle. Her rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” was perfect for me, not only does she have powerful and enticing vocals throughout the song, her ability to act through song is incredible, I couldn’t stop watching her the whole time and it felt like we were sharing these emotions with her because she was so open with it, and it was the first moment in this show where we felt sorry for Rizzo and realised that she is just as human as anybody else, and underneath that armour is a broken woman. Jocasta’s performance was an unforgettable take on a classic role, she is an incredible performer and one of the west end’s brightest stars right now, and I hope to continue following her work over the years to come!
Among some of the changes to this production is the additional songs the creative team have chosen to use in this show. They have included the classics that everyone loves from the film, but also a selection of songs created for the many stage productions that have appeared all over the world, with a couple that I haven’t heard before. One of these was the first act Danny solo “How Big I’m Gonna Be”, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this song as I thought it was great for character development, but I also felt it was quite boring and it didn’t add much to the story, and it was towards the beginning of the show which was definitely the best placement for it, but the song wasn’t as interesting as the rest of the musical numbers. My favourite number in this show was the big energetic opening number “Grease”, the same song from the film but with the greasers performing it with a first day of school dance number vibe, it was a bold entrance to this show and it definitely made me want to get up and dance already! I also enjoyed the megamix at the end as it felt really immersive and it was the perfect opportunity to break the fourth wall and get the audience feeling the energy so that they leave the show wanting more. Another element I loved about this show was the choreography. Arlene Philips’ dance numbers are spectacular and they bring something modern and fresh to a production that has been performed for many years. It’s such a breath of fresh air seeing a new life given to a show like this that has seen many different faces, and having a young cast with so much experience has definitely given this show a new lease of life. Finally, an element that I am so intrigued in when I see any show is the costumes, and although the ones used for this show are almost identical everytime, I liked how they were redesigned to suit the younger cast and take the show into a new era. The clothes worn were both casual for the environment the scenes are set in but are comfortable enough for the actors to move freely and perform their outstanding choreography, and keeping them perfect for the time period but adding a modern twist is the right way to go if they want to keep this show on its toes.
Overall, I was surprised by how much I loved the show and I always enjoy when I leave a show feeling inspired, these actors were all cast so perfectly and the ensemble as a whole were so energetic and added a great twist to a classic show. I am saddened that this show is having such a short run and will be closing soon, but you should definitely try to beg, borrow and steal a ticket before it’s too late, you won’t be disappointed!
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