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JAMIE HENDRY PRODUCTIONS
presents

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

OPEN AUDITIONS TO BE HELD IN LONDON AND MANCHESTER FOR
THE NEW MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
AHEAD OF ITS WORLD PREMIERE

 

The highly-anticipated major new musical theatre adaptation of THE WIND IN THE WILLOWSwill hold open auditions this month, ahead of its world premiere in Autumn 2016. Auditions will be held at The Lowry in Salford on 22nd April and at Rambert in London on 23rd April. Adapted for the stage by Julian Fellowes, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS will open at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth from 8th October 2016, followed by The Lowry in Salford and Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

The producers for THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS are looking for strong character actors, with excellent singing and dancing skills, for principal roles and male and female ensemble. Attendees should be prepared to sing a musical theatre song and must be aged 18 years or older.

Based on Kenneth Grahame’s treasured novel which has captivated generations of readers for over a century, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS has been adapted for the stage with a book by Oscar-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and Olivier Award-winning composer and lyricist team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS marks the first time the three have worked together since their hugely successful collaboration on the international hit musical Mary Poppins which ran for three years in the West End and six years on Broadway.

Developed and produced by Jamie Hendry Productions and presented in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh with design by Peter McKintosh, choreography by Aletta Collins, lighting design by Howard Harrisonand sound design by Gareth Owen. Casting is by Pippa Ailion Casting.

Kenneth Grahame’s wild tale about the thrill-seeking, lovable menace Mr Toad comes to life in a brand new stage musical. Ratty, Badger and Mole join the exuberant Toad and embark on a series of adventures and misadventures caused by his insatiable need for speed! Imprisoned for theft and with his existence under threat from the inhabitants of the Wild Wood, Toad must attempt a daring escape to defend Toad Hall. Featuring spectacular stagecraft and a company of over fifty, this sparkling new musical with a glorious original score brings this treasured British classic to life in what is set to be 2016’s wildest theatrical adventure.

For national press enquiries, please contact THE CORNER SHOP PR on 0207 831 7657
Lewis Jenkins: [email protected]|Ben Chamberlain: [email protected]

LISTINGS

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Website:       www.windinthewillowsthemusical.com
Facebook:    \WillowsMusical
Twitter:       @WillowsMusical
Instagram:    \WillowsMusical

8th October 2016 – 22nd October 2016
THEATRE ROYAL, PLYMOUTH
www.theatreroyal.com
01752 267 222

26th October 2016 – 6th November 2016
THE LOWRY, SALFORD
www.thelowry.com
0843 208 6000

10th November 2016 – 19th November 2016
MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON
www.mayflower.org.uk
02380 711811

Castlebar Productions presents:

BIG DANCE BUS INVITES PUBLIC TO PERFORM AT FRAMEDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY BALLETBOYZ AND DANCESCREEN 2016:FRAME RUNS 9 – 12 JUNE 2016 IN KINGSTON

Big Dance Bus, the iconic red London double-decker bus that provides a mobile venue for live dance is looking for a range performance groups to celebrate and perform on the Bus when it arrives in Kingston’s town square on 11 June for Frame Dance Film Festival this June. The festival, presented by BalletBoyz and Dancescreen, is a major new event in the annual dance calendar offering opportunities for creative talent in the arts, dance and film worlds to share experience, show work, learn from other artists and for the wider public to enjoy the best that dance and dance film offer. The full programme for the festival is still to be announced on Frame’s website – framefilmfestival.com.

The Big Dance Bus complete with stage, DJ, PA system and dance-floor, will spend the summer touring London and BalletBoyz and Frame are delighted to welcome it to Kingston for the festival before continuing its tour. For Saturday 11 June the Big Dance Bus is calling out to performance groups of all styles, abilities and ages to apply to perform on the Bus’ stage. They are seeking a breadth of dance diversity and wealth of talent in all its forms. Twenty performance slots will be available on the 10x10m dancefloor, each of 3-8 minutes. Groups interested in performing should contact [email protected] by Friday 29 April providing the following information: the name of group; style; age of group; where the group is based; any video links to work; contact number; any access requirements and which dates the group can do. Big Dance Bus will do their best to programme all applicants.

Big Dance Bus also offers additional opportunities in Kingston to screen dance films. Submissions should be sent to email[email protected] with a YouTube or Vimeo link to the dance film.

@BalletBoyz
www.balletboyz.com

Sonia Friedman Productions and Eleanor Lloyd Productions
present the Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse and Almeida Theatre production of
1984
By George Orwell
A new adaptation created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan

@1984ThePlay
#1984play

• 1984 returns to Playhouse Theatre for 12-week season
• West End run follows sell-out international tour
• 14 June – 3 September 2016
• Tickets on-sale on Friday 8 April at 10am

Following a sell-out international tour, this critically and publicly acclaimed production of1984 will return to the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End this summer. George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, adapted by Olivier Award-winner Robert Icke and Olivier Award-nominee Duncan Macmillan, will preview from 14 June 2016, with the press night on 28 June 2016.

Now seen by over a quarter of a million people, this Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse and Almeida Theatre production premiered at Nottingham Playhouse in September 2013. Since opening, 1984 has played to packed houses at the Almeida Theatre, as well as throughout its two West End runs and in performances across the globe during national and international tours.

101 seats for every performance will be available for £19.84.

April, 1984.13:00. Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary and falls in love. But Big Brother is always watching.

The definitive book of the 20th century is re-examined in a radical, award-winning adaptation exploring surveillance, identity and why Orwell’s vision of the future is as relevant now as ever.

1984 is directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan with Daniel Raggett, Set and Costume is designed by Chloe Lamford, with Lighting designed by Natasha Chivers, Sound designed by Tom Gibbons and Video designed by Tim Reid.

George Orwell’s 1984, published in 1949, is one of the most influential novels in recent history, with its chilling depiction of perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance and incessant public mind-control.  Its ideas have become our ideas, and Orwell’s fiction is often said to be our reality.

Robert Icke has directed numerous productions as Almeida Associate Director including his own adaptations of Uncle Vanya and Oresteia (which transferred to Trafalgar Studios, and for which he won the Olivier, Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Best Director), The Fever at The May Fair Hotel and Mr Burns. Robert’s work as a director also includes Boys and Romeo and Juliet for Headlong. He will make his National Theatre debut directing The Red Barn at the Lyttleton Theatre in October.

Duncan Macmillan’s plays include People, Places and Things (nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Play) which opened at the National Theatre and has transferred to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End; Every Brilliant Thing for Paines Plough on tour in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand; and Lungs for Paines Plough and at Schaubühne in Berlin, directed by Katie Mitchell.

Shoppers and commuters were stopped in their tracks on Friday as the three kings, James I, James II and James III graced the steps of the Theatre Royal before hitting the stage on Saturday and Sunday in the epic trilogy of plays.  The three kings brought a touch of regal to the theatre to give passers-by a sneak peek of what to expect from their epic performance in The James Plays, which plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 15 – Sat 20 Feb 2016.

 

A trilogy of plays described as “better than Shakespeare” by The Telegraph and as “Scotland’s answer to Game of Thrones” by the Daily Record is coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal.

 

The James Plays, by Rona Munro are an exhilarating and vividly imagined trio, bringing to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland from 1406 -1488. Each play stands alone as a unique vision of a country tussling with its past and future, with its own distinct theatrical atmosphere. Viewed together they create a complex and compelling narrative on Scottish culture and nationhood. These historical dramas have been written for a contemporary audience and are served up with a refreshing modern directness.

 

In a break from the norm, a select number of seats for the performances are on stage; built into the set, these seats are at heart of the action and allow the audience members sitting there to share the performer’s perspective of the space, and become witness to an ensemble of actors taking the audience through a rarely-explored period of history with playful wit and boisterous theatricality.

 

The James Plays by Rona Munro, and directed by Laurie Sansom played to sell-out houses of over 88,000 people during the opening run at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh and subsequently at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, London.

 

Described by The Telegraph as “better than Shakespeare” and “Rona Munro’s thrilling trilogy could be the finest history plays ever penned” the plays went on to win the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best New Play and the Writers Guild Award for Best New Play (James I).

 

Laurie Sansom, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland and Director of The James Plays says:  “The excitement we all felt at embarking on this journey to bring to life a little known part of Scottish history and stage Rona’s remarkable trilogy, was only matched by the excitement of sharing it with audiences at the EIF and at the National Theatre in London. We now have the chance to share it with audiences across the UK which will be a real privilege. We are indebted to all the partners who have made this possible, including the Scottish Government.”

 

Lisa Burger, Executive Director of the National Theatre of Great Britain, says: “Our collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland on Laurie Sansom’s unforgettable production of The James Plays was undoubtedly one of last year’s highlights, setting the Olivier Theatre alight with exhilarating energy every evening.  We’re delighted that Rona Munro’s tremendous trilogy will live again for audiences around the country.”

 

The roles of the three James’ will be played by Steven Miller (Casualty, Black Watch) as James I, Matthew Pidgeon (RSC’s Wolf Hall, Edward II, The Wonderful World of Dissocia) as James III, and Andrew Rothney who returns as James II. Other new cast members include John Stahl (Game of Thrones, Being Human), Andrew Still (Black Swan, Hollyoaks), Dani Heron (I Am Me, Casualty), Sally Reid (Rab C. Nesbit, Scot Squad), Brian James, and Rosemary Boyle. They join Blythe Duff, Peter Forbes, Daniel Cahill, David Mara, Andrew Fraser, Fiona Wood, Nick Elliot, and Ali Craig who return to the trilogy from the original cast.

 

The James Plays is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Sat 30 Apr to Sun 1 May. Tickets from £42.50 (save 50p per ticket online). All tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk

Newcastle Theatre Royal are delighted to announce that the Olivier award-winning stage adaptation of Michelle Magorian’s classic novel Goodnight Mister Tom will be visiting the theatre this Spring from Tuesday 17 May – Saturday 21 May.

 

The previously announced David Troughton will play the central role of Mister Oakley joined by an ensemble cast featuring Clark Devlin, Elisa de Grey, Guy Lewis, Simon Markey, Abigail Matthews, Jane Milligan, Martha Seignior, James Staddon, Melle Stewart, Georgina Sutton and Hollie Taylor.

Six talented young performers have been cast in the key roles of William and Zach. Joe Reynolds, Freddy Hawkins and Alex Taylor-McDowall will alternate the role of William and Sonny Kirby, Harrison Noble and Oliver Loades will alternate as Zach.

 

David Wood’s stage adaptation enjoyed great critical acclaim in 2012/13, winning the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family.

 

David Troughton is currently playing the role of Tony Archer on BBC Radio 4’s long-running British contemporary rural drama, The Archers (since 2014). He has performed numerous times with both the RSC (The Shoemaker’s Holiday, Macbeth, Macbett, Henry IV: parts 1 and 2, Richard II and Richard III, The Cherry Orchard, The Tempest, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Venetian Twins) and the National Theatre (Season’s Greetings, Playing with Fire, Measure for Measure, Peter Pan and Fool For Love). He is also a regular on TV where his appearances include Grantchester, Unforgotten, The Hollow Crown and many more.

The novel Goodnight Mister Tom is now a modern classic and is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Michelle Magorian’s wonderfully uplifting tale is brought gloriously to life in this magical stage adaptation by David Wood. Set during the dangerous build up to the Second World War, Goodnight Mister Tom follows young William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable and heart-warming friendship with the elderly recluse, Tom Oakley.

 

Winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and commended for the Carnegie Medal, Goodnight Mister Tom is now a world-wide literary favourite and BAFTA award-winning TV film (starring John Thaw), and continues to inspire audiences and bring generations together.

 

Goodnight Mister Tom comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 May. Tickets are from £14.50 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Award Winning Theatre Makers premiere Petrification at Live Theatre in May

 

Presented by Telltale in association with LittleMighty.  Petrification, a new play written by Zoe Cooper (Nativities, Live Theatre) and directed by Mark Maughan (National Theatre, Paines Plough) will make its premiere at Live Theatre in May.

 

“You can sense the buzz developing from Petrification” – British Theatre Guide

 

Award winning theatre makers Zoe Cooper and Mark Maughan have come together to create a new theatre production Petrificationthat will begin its national tour on Live Theatre’s main stage from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 May.  The show boasts an engaging and innovative script that recreates the atmosphere of a booze-fuelled night out at the pub.

 

Simon and Sean’s dad is dead. Returning home from London, Simon is shocked to find Sean in a relationship with a man called Aidan. Sean is irritated by Simon’s new cosmopolitan ways. And Aidan? He just wants to be part of the family.

 

Attempting to find common ground, they head for a night out in Gateshead.  But before long they’re arguing. What is it about the memory of a childhood trip to Whitby that sets them off? Darts, pints and fists fly across the room, as past and present collide with dizzying consequences. Joining the characters in the pub, the audience is thrust into the heart of one family’s search for truth.

 

Petrification began its life at the Gateshead International Festival of Theatre (GIFT) in May 2013, originally developed as a thirty-minute piece on a shoestring budget. The show was awarded festival prizes from Northern Stage and Live Theatre, which secured time and space to develop the full-length play. Over the summer of 2013, the company successfully applied for an Arts Council England Grants for the Arts award. This enabled the company to expand the creative team and realise a full-length draft of the script, ready to take to full production.

 

The show was later shortlisted for the Kevin Spacey Foundation Award, making the final round of 6 from over 1000 applications. The show will now premiere at Live Theatre, before heading out on an extensive UK tour.

 

Writer Zoe Cooper and director Mark Maughan lead Telltale’s work, having first met while working at Live Theatre. They then collaborated on the Old Vic New Voices 24 hour plays project, cementing the creative partnership and fuelling the decision to make more work together. They make bold, ambitious theatre telling stories from their native Northeast in extraordinary ways.

 

Zoe’s credits as a playwright include Nativities (Live Theatre), Utopia (Live Theatre / Soho Theatre), The Winter’s Tale (adaptation for The Globe Theatre), Longshore Drift (Old Vic New Voices) and Learning How to Swim (ATC/Root Theatre). She has also had work developed or produced with the RSC and National Theatre Studios, as well as with Ovalhouse, Theatre503, Nabakov and the Tristan Bates Theatre.

 

Mark has recently worked as staff director on the National Theatre’s hugely successful production of Les Blancs. Other credits include Made in China’s Tonight I’m Gonna Be The New Me, How Was It for You? (Brighton Dome), Address Unknown (JW3 for Soho Theatre) and The Money $hot Cabaret. He was resident trainee director at Paines Plough.

 

Director Mark Maughan commented “This is a play for anyone who’s ever left home and come back to find everything changed. And also for anyone who never went away in the first place. We hope the show is immersive, incisive and intoxicating.”

 

Writer Zoe Cooper commented “The play was partly inspired by my family’s annual holiday growing up. Each year my family returned to the same beach, giving me a host of memories, through toddler tantrums to teenage friendships formed in a day and then forgotten. When I compare my memories to those of my sister’s I was really aware that there are loads of gaps and differences in what we recall. I have also wanted to write something about the north/south divide for a while, as well as the ways class can split a family – especially when everyone is forced to spend too much time together!”

 

The show’s cast will be announced soon.

 

Telltale’s work is produced by LittleMighty. The company works with remarkable artists to make brilliant theatre happen. Recent successes include Move to Stand’s FAT MAN (“For theatre like this I’d follow them anywhere” – The Times); Unfolding Theatre’sLANDS OF GLASS (“charming, harmonizing, enchanting” – The Telegraph) and Testament’s BLAKE REMIXED, a co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse (“An entertaining fusion of hip-hop, rap and beatboxing that thrusts the Blake mythology into the 21^stcentury – The Stage).

 

@we_are_telltale / @littlemightyuk / #Petrification

Running time: 75mins / Suitable for ages 14+

 

Company Information

 

Written by Zoe Cooper

Directed by Mark Maughan

Design by Emma Bailey

Lighting Design by Josh Pharo

Sound Design by Guy Connelly

Produced by LittleMighty

 

Development supported by Live Theatre, Northern Stage, GIFT and the Kevin Spacey Foundation.

 

Listings information

 

Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3DQ

Thursday 26 – Saturday 28 May, 7.30pm

Saturday 28 May, 2pm

£18 – £10 full, £16 -£12 over 60s, £10 – £6 other concessions

Box Office: (0191) 232 1232

www.live.org.uk

 

Future Tour Dates

 

2 June: The Victorian Craft Beer Cafe

In Association with Halifax Square Chapel Centre for the Arts Plays in Pubs

www.squarechapel.co.uk

 

3 June: Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal

www.brewaryarts.co.uk

 

15 June: Customs House, South Shields

www.customshouse.co.uk

 

16 June: CAST, Doncaster

www.castindoncaster.com

 

18 June: The Lowry, Salford Quays

www.thelowry.com

 

20 – 22 June: Pub gigs with 2’s Company Festival in association with Harrogate Theatre

20 June – The Mitre Inn, Knaresborough

21 June – So Bar, Ripon

22 June – Tap and Spile, Harrogate

www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

 

26 June: The HUB, Leeds

www.slunglow.org

The Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza

Starring

The Osmonds

 

with special guests

 

Ventriloquist – Steve Hewlett (Britain’s Got Talent) &

Singer Charlie Green (Britain’s Got Talent)

Plus

The Moon River Singers & Dancers

 

Newcastle City Hall

Friday 30 December

Tickets on sale Friday 15 April from 9am

 

Newcastle City Hall is proud to announce the return of the ‘Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza’ for the second year running starring The Osmonds to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.  This dazzling, must-see holiday extravaganza comes directly from the historic stage of Branson USA’s beautiful Andy Williams Moon River Theatre. The tour will culminate with a performance at Newcastle City Hall on Friday 30 December.

Jimmy Osmond said, “It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year, and my brothers Jay, Merrill and I are looking forward to once again bringing back some of that Christmas cheer.   Last year’s UK Christmas tour was so much fun, that we are bringing it back following the run in the USA. The Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza, is an American tradition that started in the 60s and beloved around the world.  It was Andy’s wishes and now my great honor and privilege to continue his amazing legacy of family friendly action-packed variety at its best. This award-winning show has proven to warm hearts and get you in that warm and fuzzy Christmas mood. Come celebrate Christmas with us”.

Treat your entire family to this award winning variety production featuring nostalgic footage of the legendary Andy Williams from Christmases past.  Sing along to your favourite Christmas Classics including “Silent Night”, “Last Christmas”, “Merry Christmas Everybody” and “Sleighride”. The Osmonds will also perform their mega hits made famous during more than five decades of entertaining around the world. Osmond fans will hear “Love Me for a Reason”, “Crazy Horses”, “Down By The Lazy River”, “Goin Home”, “Let Me In”, “The Proud One” and more.

 

Special guest stars from Britain’s Got Talent – ventriloquist Steve Hewlett and one of the show’s stand out young singers Charlie Green complete this unforgettable festive family tradition alongside the Moon River Singers and dancers.

The Andy Williams Christmas Spectacular with The Osmonds plays Newcastle City Hall on Friday 30 December Tickets are £38.50 and can be purchased at www.newcastlecityhall.org or from the Theatre Royal Box office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge.

Welsh actor Owen Teale will play ‘Briggs’ in Sean Mathias’ production of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 15 – Sat 20 Aug. Tony Award-winning Teale joins the already confirmed Ian McKellen as ‘Spooner’ and Patrick Stewart as ‘Hirst’ in the play, with further casting still to be announced.

 

Known recently for playing Ser Alliser Thorne in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Owen Teale won the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his portrayal of Torvald in A Doll’s House, for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award. Other notable theatre credits include Dance of Death (also alongside Ian McKellen and directed by Sean Mathias), Ivanov at the National Theatre, Julius Caesar, King Lear and Henry IV for the RSC. Starring in HBO’s Conspiracy alongside Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth, Teale’s other screen credits include The Cherry Orchard opposite Charlotte Rampling and ITV’sTorchwood.

 

No Man’s Land was first performed at the iconic Wyndham’s Theatre in 1975 with Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, following its premiere at the National Theatre.

Directed by Sean Mathias, this production of No Man’s Land received highly acclaimed reviews at the Cort Theatre in New York whilst in repertory alongside Waiting for Godot, also starring stage and screen friends, McKellen and Stewart and directed by Mathias. The production of Waiting for Godot had transferred from London where it celebrated a sell-out run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, the last time McKellen and Stewart shared a West End stage.

 

One summer’s evening, two ageing writers, Hirst and Spooner, meet in a Hampstead pub and continue their drinking into the night at Hirst’s stately house nearby. As the pair become increasingly inebriated, and their stories increasingly unbelievable, the lively conversation soon turns into a revealing power game, further complicated by the return home of two sinister younger men.

No Man’s Land will have set and costume design by Stephen Brimson Lewis and lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski.

This production of No Man’s Land is produced by Stuart Thompson, Flying Freehold Productions and Playful Productions.

 

No Man’s Land plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 15 – Saturday 20 August. Tickets are from £16 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Civic Theatre, Darlington – 20 April 2016

Darlington Operatic present Legally Blonde The Musical, Jerry Mitchell’s west end production with a score by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin.

The stage show has its tongue in its cheek throughout, it knows it is ridiculous and infantile, and celebrates the fact with knowing wit.  It’s a high-octane show with wildly energetic dance routines imaginatively choreographed by Joanne Hand that makes sure the pace never flags.

The plot concerns a spoilt dizzy blonde from Malibu, Elle Woods (shared by Claire Willmer and Rachel Slattery), who is studying “fashion merchandising” at UCLA. She is far more interested, however, in her boyfriend, and when, on the night she’s expecting him to propose, he actually dumps her because she’s too low-rent and he’s moving on to a serious life at Harvard Law School, she is first distraught, then determined to follow him there.

Things don’t exactly go to plan and she finds Warner (Michael Hirst) has a new girlfriend, Vivienne (Hannah Gawthorpe) and that Harvard isn’t like her old sorority days at UCLA.

With some help and inspiration from hairdresser Paulette (Hayley Walker) and attorney, Emmett (Nicholas Holmes), Elle ends up defying expectations using her fashion expertise to crack the prosecution case yet manages to stay true to herself in a world of “sharks”. And escape her sleazy Professor Callaghan (Julian Cound)

The star of the show was undoubtedly Rachel Slattery in the high-energy, demanding title role. She barely left the stage and was outstanding throughout.

She had a strong voice and confident stage presence and a beautiful beaming smile just perfect for the part.

Hayley Walker stole some of the best lines and songs in her supporting role of Paulette.  Her flirtation with the delivery man Kyle played by the hilarious Luke Oldfied was superbly entertaining.

As Emmett Forester, Holmes has a likeable charm and charisma that will immediately delight audiences. His chemistry with Slattery is endearing and Holmes portrays genuine excitement and pride as her character grows and transforms. The song “Chip on My Shoulder” gives the first glimpse at Holme’s vocal abilities which are by far one of the best in the show. His duet with Slattery in the song “Legally Blonde” is emotional and Holme’s and Slattery’s  voices takes your breath away.

There were a few teething problems though in this show which has fantastic potential.  A few technical problems with the microphones not working properly and not being muted off stage, a few missed cues are all problems which can be ironed out of this two week run.  And outstanding as they were, the orchestra mainly over powered the performers, so maybe turn down the music and turn up the singers

However, if you only go for the hilarious Irish dance sequence then you will have had your moneys worth.

This show is saccharine sweet and full of fun and Darlington Operatics are clearly enjoying themselves presenting it

In Darlington until 30 April