Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 13th May 2023
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
The enthusiastic reception from last night’s audience at Legally Blonde should tell you all you need to know if you’re thinking about coming to see Cambridge Operatic Society’s most recent production. There was plenty of admiration and laughter throughout the show.
Cambridge Operatic Society are a Cambridge based musical theatre company who perform an annual staged production under a professional director, often with a full orchestra, and have performed for many years at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Adapted from the iconic 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde tells the story of Elle Woods, (played by Kaitlin Berridge) a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (played by Hector Wheatley). Elle then discovers that there’s more to life than winning Warner back and that she can help others through her knowledge of the law. This surprises both Elle herself and those around her!
This is a fun and upbeat production. It’s undeniably odd at times – spoof Riverdance and a fake-Greek chorus dressed as cheerleaders! But all of this makes it ridiculous fun all the way through. It’s high energy from start to finish. The choreography is great and there are strong vocal performances from all.
There were lots of standout moments for me in this production. The duets between Warner and Elle “Serious”, and Elle and Emmett “Legally Blonde”, were really very well done. I thought Kaitlin Berridge’s depiction of Elle was absolutely spot on. She’s charming and annoying in equal measure and Kaitlin can really sing. This is also true of Amelia Bass who gave a fabulous solo performance as Paulette when she sang “Ireland.” A wonderful vocal performance.
Andrew Ruddick as Professor Callahan was the kind of villain an audience loves to hate. Smooth, oily, and ultimately sinister – and a great vocalist too.
And finally, I was in awe at the Whipped Into Shape routine – all that skipping, and Daisy Bates as Brooke Wyndham sang beautifully, and no-one seemed even out of breath!
There was a full house at this performance (I think) and so I hope that you can still get a ticket if you decide to go. The energetic cast give this their all with full sincerity and lots of skill. Definitely worth seeing.