Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. Today I will be talking about my review of Grease, which I saw on 28th August 2024, taking place at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.
As stated on the official tour website, the plot is as followed:
"After a whirlwind summer romance, leather-clad greaser Danny and girl-next-door Sandy are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High for senior year. But can they survive the trials and tribulations of teenage life and find true love once more?
With its phenomenal score, bursting with hits including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted to You and You’re the One That I Want, this thrilling new version is brought to life by a fresh young cast who bring energy, vitality and passion to this ultimate musical classic."
Marley Fenton and Hope Dawe who played Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski, were brilliant together. With Sandy, her innocence and morals to others whilst longing to be with Danny was adorable to see, and her solo “Hopelessly devoted to you” is just an example of trying to protect yourself. And with Danny, it was clear he put in a tough personality to fit in with the cool people, and his idea of romance isn’t the same as Sandys. But his solo and then his change in personality after Sandys transformation really did make him rethink and I’m glad it has. It shows that they’re willing to adapt to their personalities and show that if you want to make it work you put in the effort.
There were other characters in the show that did a really good job in putting this classic show together. I won’t say all of them as we’d be here for we’d be here forever, but here are a few that stand out to me.
Ben Nicholas who played Kenickie showed the true image of a bad boy. He made sure that the character was someone who was not to be messed with, but also showing that he does have a softer side, especially with his feelings towards Rizzo (who I will mention in just a moment). And his solo of “Grease Lightinin” along with the supporting cast really was a hit with everyone.
Rebecca Stenhouse who played Betty Rizzo in as a powerhouse and a definition of someone who may seem tough outside but is a different story on the inside. I get the hint that Rizzo came from a very strict background, and her head was filled with limiting beliefs. But during her solo “There are worst things I could do”, it was clear that the walls were slowly creeping in. But I thought that was an excellent interpretation of the chart we! Well done!
Joe Gash who played Vince Fontaine was a clear entertainer. He set the musical he was a clear hit with the audience, and I’m not sure if the character is a ladies man, but it’s definitely got him some attention from the ladies. All in all he was a good character to break the emotional moments in the show.
Sario Solomon took on the role of Sonny. He definitely made this character the comedy bridge, but also shows his serious side appropriate. I have a feeling that this character just wants a hook up (and multiple of them) but you can’t help but giggle at every bit of flirting he does. And Sario definitely brought that comedy to the show! Well done!
Finally Lewis Day and Emerald B took on the roles of Roger and Jan. their chemistry was beautiful, and their duet “Mooning” was beautiful to see. I felt that secretly whilst these characters seem like confident people, they’re actually quite shy and have yet revealed to be their full selves. That’s from my perspective anyway, but these two definitely are adorable especially when they’re together! Well done you two!
Whilst watching the show I also saw some differences from the film. Two of them being when Rizzo sings “There are worst things I could do”. In the film she sang it on her own but in the show she sang it to sandy. I quite liked it for some reason as then it gives sandy an idea of who Rizzo is behind the tough persona she’s hiding. Another thing I noticed was the finale of the show, as they didn’t have the car that flies, but then again maybe they had to think about initially what would work from the film adaption and what wouldn’t. And maybe this was one of them.
I think I have a couple of downsides, two of them was not actually to do with the show itself but more from my end. There was one moment in the hand jive where I thought Sandy was in it, but it turns out it was a different character completely. That was my fault on my end as they looked really similar. Another thing to point out was that where I was sat I couldn’t see the whole stage, particularly when Vince Fontaine was doing his DJ work at the top. The final thing that wasn’t a downside specifically but more of a situation beyond my control was a technical glitch before the start of act 2. This was soon sorted and everyone like true professionals gave off brilliant performances.
Overall I would give the show a 4.95. It was fun, electric and it really helped me on an emotional day. But with those minor things, two of them beyond my control, it would've been a full house.
And that was my review of the show. Here is the link below on where you can catch the show in a city near you. If you've seen it already, let me know your thoughts, but if you haven't yet, it's running until 16th November, so if you're a 50s fan and needing abit of Summer Loving, then be sure to get your tickets whilst you still have the chance:
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is the Autistic Actress signing off :)
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