For those among us who are Generation X, ‘Grease’ is likely to have formed a significant backdrop to their formative years. Released in 1978, the film ‘Grease’ became a cultural phenomenon and helped to make stars of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Now there is the opportunity to experience ‘Grease the Musical’ during its UK tour. Get yourself along to see ‘Grease is the Word’, ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Greased Lightning’, ‘We Go Together’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ and, of course, ‘You’re the One That I Want’ and other favourites sung live and performed with an orchestra in the magic of live theatre.
‘Grease’ started life in the early 1970s as a theatrical production, before being adapted for the big screen. The director of ‘Grease the Musical’, Nikolai Foster, has spoken of his desire to return the show to its theatrical origins. This is a somewhat less soft-focussed view of American adolescence in the 1950s than the big-screen version, but the original period setting is retained. Just don’t expect Kenickie’s 1948 Ford De Luxe convertible to be quite so pink and polished as the one in the film!
The action takes place at Rydell High School. At the start of term, leader of the Burger Palace Boys, Danny Zuko (Marley Fenton) boasts to his gang about his sexual conquest over the summer. At the same time, new girl Sandy (Hope Dawe) tells the Pink Ladies gang about a real gentlemen that she met over the summer. Lo and behold they are talking about one another. By coincidence, Sandy has become a student at Danny’s school. The upshot of this coincidence is that the audience is tipped off that Danny behaves differently around his mates, keen as he is to keep up the braggadocio.
As anyone who’s seen the film will know, there isn’t a strong linear plot to ‘Grease’. Rather, it’s an observation of teenagers fitting in as they find their way towards adulthood. Along the way there’s tall stories about romances with marines, a suspected pregnancy, a date at the open air cinema and an end of year school prom. Danny knows that he’s treating Sandy badly to save face in front of his friends, and at the same time Sandy struggles to find a way to connect with Danny on his terms. As the prom approaches, there’s love a’plenty in the air. There’s even a bonkers deus ex machina moment when the Teen Angel (Joe Gash, who also plays DJ Vince Fontaine) descends from the clouds to dispense words of wisdom to Frenchy during the ‘Beauty School Dropout’ scene.
Excellent set design and lighting gives this production the room to breathe. It springs to life from the opening number, ‘Sandy’. The young ensemble cast ensures that the energy stays high throughout. Marley Fenton and Hope Dawe, as Danny and Sandy, have the most difficult jobs as it’s hard to dissociate the iconic characters from their big screen performers. Nevertheless, both are sufficiently different to ensure they can put their own stamp on the roles. The same issue that has always nagged me when watching ‘Grease’ comes through: Danny and Sandy spend very little time together so the opportunity to develop a rapport is reduced to a handful of scenes. Ultimately (spoiler alert), Sandy opts to act out of character in order to win Danny’s enduring affections, which the story perhaps gets away with thanks to its 1950s setting.
That weakness in the plot aside, the book allows for all of the principal members of the cast to enjoy their moments to stand out. George Michaelides is an impressive Kenickie, capturing the right attitude and bringing a strong physical presence to the role. The scene between Jan (Emerald B) and Lewis Day (Roger) is delightfully played and impressively sung. One of the most memorable characters, Rizzo, is brilliantly brought to life by Rebecca Stenhouse. She captures the dual sassiness/vulnerability of the character. There is an abundance of witty dialogue between the members of the male and female gangs to ensure that the show raises more than a few laughs.
‘Grease the Musical’ whisks you into a world of welcome nostalgia, whether that’s for the 1950s setting and songs or for those 70s and 80s kids who grew up with the film. The stage production is a reminder that the showstoppers are fantastic and the show’s core strength. Everyone will have their favourite, but I loved hearing the Pink Ladies sing ‘Sandra Dee’ and seeing Kenickie lead the up-tempo ‘Greased Lightening’ the most.
Deliberately, ‘Grease the Musical’ is more down to earth than the film version, and the teenagers are raunchier and less immediately likeable. But it’s a good thing to see a fresh take on an old favourite to try to keep it relevant. Whether or not the appeal of ‘Grease’ will resonate down the generations remains to be seen. I hope so, but I suspect the main audience the show will attract will be those whose teenage years were filled with these wonderful 1950s-style songs.
Cast: Marley Fenton, Hope Dawe, Rebecca Stenhouse, George Michaelides, Joe Gash, Kieran Lynch, Lewis Day, Sario Solomon, Alicia Belgrade, India Chadwick Writers: Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Director: Nikolai Foster Duration: 140 mins Theatre: The Churchill, Bromley Dates: 12th – 20th April 2024 Book tickets for ‘Grease the Musical’
