Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 31 August 2024
Reviewed by Amy V Gathercole
4****
“A thrilling night out full of familiar toe-tapping numbers and characters you love!”
Wow, getting to see this re-worked and less expected version of Grease is a real treat! Most people will know the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John iconic film, but did you know the show was originally set in Chicago and not L.A.? The original stage show for Grease was first performed in 1971.
It moved to Broadway following huge success only a year later, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical! It’s remained popular ever since in all of its iterations.
Danny (Marley Fenton – fresh from playing Tin Man in ‘The Wizard of Oz’) and Sandy’s (the show sees the professional debut of Hope Dawe) summer romance is still central to the plot, but overall the whole story has a bit of a grittier undertone and with its rebellious style, is honestly better.
There’s much more focus on the ensemble of talent in the cast, as each of The Pink Ladies and The Burger Palace Boys (the film changed their name to the T-Birds) gets their moments to shine, tell their story, and share their struggles too.
It allows the audience to see more of the friendships in the gang and more of the characteristics of the group. At the end of the day, it’s just teenagers in the 1950s finding and expressing their identities, wants and desires for the first time.
Standout performances in this edition come from ‘Betty’ Rizzo (Rebecca Stonehouse) as the girl who won’t ever let anyone see her true emotions and discover her insecurities under her tough bravado.
It was great to see a Sandy that sticks up for herself a little more (against the boys and the girls) and who has a bit more gumption. With Marley as our leading man Zuko, he is a convincing Danny that’s been cast with diversity and inclusion in mind, which director Nikolai Foster is very proud of.
Danny is given a little more substance in terms of his aspirations and considerations of where he fits in best – pondering if being the head of a gang is actually for him?
Comic relief comes from lesser-known members of the gangs, and Sario Solomon as Sonny and Lewis Day as Rump crack gags throughout the show, even in the darker moments, both showcasing great vocals too.
Adding to the comedy is a clever staging choice of having DJ Vince Fontaine (Joe Gash – also playing Teen Angel and) feature in the centre of the stage, above all of the action throughout the show. It really brings the importance of the rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack to the forefront of the story.
Grease was given, let’s call it a Hollywood sheen with the film and this stage version exposes more grit and a tougher side to the lives that these teenagers lived. Exploring feelings of first crushes and romances, considering their body image, bullying, and just growing through their high school adolescence.
My favourite number in the whole performance was a delightfully camp (and the most bubblegum pink version) of ‘Beauty School Dropout’ I’ve ever witnessed, as Frenchy (Alicia Belgrade) meets her guardian angel and deliberates what to do with her dreams and future career.
The choreography is a highlight throughout the entire show, with its fast-paced and energetic routines. It’s courtesy of Dame Arlene Phillips and it’s fantastic, with fresh, fast, and frantic dance routines throughout the show.
Expect to hear tons of your favourite and beloved songs, including ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Greased Lightnin’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’, and ‘You’re The One That I Want’, alongside a bunch of new songs too that add to the narratives.
There will always be a special place in my heart for these stories, I’ve experienced many versions of the film and the show and this is by far my favourite.