Grease is the word and the word is this is one of the most feel good shows you will ever see. It's at Milton Keynes Theatre this week.
This musical is very special to me. It was not only the first film I saw twice in a cinema but it was also the first film I saw without my parents. The soundtrack was the first record I bought with my own (pocket) money and I still own it. I completely fell in love with Grease and it continues to have a very special place in my heart. I am always excited to see it on stage. I wore my pink ladies jacket and although I cant wear heels anymore, I wore tight leggings and my hair in a ponytail. I was ready to have fun. And that is exactly what this show is – fun.
Grease is the classic story of boy meets girl. Danny falls in love with Sandy during the summer of 1959. Sandy turns up at his school and makes friends with the pink ladies. She already knows Danny from their summer romance but he is trying to be cool in front of his mates. There is much to love about this show. It contains all our favourite classics including Grease, Summer Nights, Greased Lightning, We Go Together and You’re The One That I Want. The star of the show is Arlene Phillips' choreography. Its absolutely outstanding. I especially enjoyed Grease and Greased Lightning set pieces as they were so vibrant and energetic. The cast absolutely nail the dance moves and make it look so cool.
Danny is played by Marley Fenton and there were glimpses of greatness in his performance, particularly during ‘How big I’m gonna be’ but sadly it wasn’t consistent and at the start of Sandy he sounded quite shaky. Danny’s character is a strong one and needs to own the stage. Marley needs to believe in himself and find his ‘inner Danny’ to deliver on stage. Sandy was played by Hope Dawe and this is her professional debut but you wouldn’t know it as she gave a wonderful all round performance.
My favourite performance of the night was Alicia Belgarde as Frenchy. She was complete in character the whole time and so enjoyable to watch. She stole every scene she was in. I also loved Mooning by Roger, who tonight was played by Ben Middleton. Ben (for me) has the best voice on stage and I felt he should be playing Danny.
If you haven’t seen this recent production, there are some changes so don’t expect a carbon copy of the film. This is a very different Grease based on the play. There are songs that are unfamiliar to the film version but have their own merit so give them a chance as they fit the story well. But I have to be honest - I don’t care for ‘Burger Palace Boys’ rather than T-Birds and I was disappointed that we never get to see the final Greased Lightning car in all its glory.
Overall, Grease is a real feel good, sing-a-long show which cannot fail to impress.
And I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell you there is a megamix of all our favourite tunes at the end so you can get up and dance. You can go home singing You’re The One That I Want!
Grease is the one that you want, so get over to Milton Keynes Theatre this week.
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