Review: GREASE THE MUSICAL, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
Few musicals are as universally well-known and well-loved as Grease, thanks in no small part to the classic 1978 movie. Sam Hardie’s production for Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Blackpool Grand Theatre brings 1950s charm and nostalgia aplenty, full of joy and fun, leaving the audience on its feet with a smile on every face.
Grease is the story of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko, teenagers who had a short-lived summer romance before discovering they go to the same school, Rydell. Danny rebuffs Sandy, not wanting to lose face in front of his cool friends, the Burger Palace Boys, and Sandy tries to find her way through her new life at Rydell with the Pink Ladies. Of course, by the end, they find their way back to one another, both having changed ever so slightly to align themselves with the other’s ideals.
This end point is often maligned, with many believing Sandy’s finale transformation is her losing her true identity and changing who she is for a man, but this production frames it instead as Sandy exploring a different facet of her identity, while allowing Danny to keep his letterman jacket and preppier persona, letting both teens move towards a mid-point that connects them both.
As is almost always the case with Pitlochry’s musicals, this is an actor-musician production, with the vast majority of the cast playing multiple instruments throughout the show, all the while singing, dancing and acting with ease. Kally Lloyd-Jones’ clever choreography is full of vibrancy and energy, while allowing the performers to move with guitars, saxophones and the like. Nick Trueman’s set is relatively simple but very effective, creating everything from the school bleachers to the diner to the famed Greased Lightning itself, while Julie Carlin’s costumes are colourful and full of personality.
The cast are excellent, led ably by Blythe Jandoo and Alexander Service as Sandy and Danny, respectively. Jandoo displays stunning vocals, and her Sandy is equal parts wide-eyed innocence and steely nerve. Service navigates Danny’s extreme vocal range with ease while capturing Danny’s cocky swagger and the softness he tries to keep hidden. Tyler Collins is a fiery Kenickie, with a very impressive bass voice, and Fiona Wood is tough yet vulnerable as Rizzo. April Nerissa Hudson is a sweet, charming Frenchy, Alyson Orr and Keith Macpherson have memorable cameos as Miss Lynch and Vince Fontaine, and the rest of the cast create bold characters which never veer into caricature.
This production is a triumph, proving that over 50 years since it first premiered, Grease continues to find relevance for a contemporary audience. A nostalgic, lively romp, this is the definition of a feel-good show which left us hand-jiving the whole way home.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Lorna Murray
Grease plays at Pitlochry Festival Theatre until 27 September, with further info here.