GREASE

GREASE

Chelmsford Young Generation at the Civic Theatre

08.04.2014

A retro feel to the styling and the staging: the austere brickwork of the school hall at Rydell High forms the backdrop to the whole story – the sleek Greased Lighting glides in through the double doors.

Costume and hair are also pleasingly redolent of those distant 50s.

Jeremy Tustin's production has some lovely touches: the grease monkey chorus, the baby-doll beauticians. The Prom Night duet is tellingly staged, and Doody [Charlie Toland] is given a backing trio and a gold jacket for his big number. And the huge cast – including some Junior High School kids – fills the wide stage in splendid Todd-AO. Lively dancing, with plenty of those tasteless and vulgar movements, and perhaps not enough of the inventiveness that brings a witty hint of Busby Berkeley to Beauty School Dropout.

Natasha Newton makes a convincingly “wholesome and pure” Sandy, with Henri de Lausun as her devoted Danny. A whole string of excellent performances in support, including audience favourite Jack Toland as goofball Eugene, Alice Catchpole as the omnivorous Jan, Monique Crisell as Frenchy and especially Tamara Anderson as the mature and cynical Rizzo. Her handling of Worse Things I Could Do is exemplary – insightful and crystal clear. Because in this show the words are always important, carrying the satire and the social comment behind the nostalgia and the dancing.

production photograph: Barrie White-Miller

GREASE

GREASE

WOW! at the Public Hall, Witham

18.02.2014

Another riotous reunion for the Rydell Class of '59. And in Nikki Mundell-Poole's stylish production, the raw raunchiness of the original – over 40 years ago – is triumphantly recaptured.

Especially in the inventively staged musical numbers: the kitsch routine, dry ice and teasing combs, for Beauty School Dropout [Tim Rolph the Teen Angel], the tyres and the lights for Greased Lightning, the backscrubbers and bath robes as the kids prepare for the High School Hop. Athletic, often witty, choreography, sending up the style just enough, sharply executed by an excellent ensemble, including some impressive mini-me girls and greasers, with Callum Hoskins stepping up to do a very polished Johnny Casino.

Those familiar rock'n'roll pastiches come up very fresh – the Hand Jive, the Summer Nights – with excellent solo work from, amongst others, Hatty Gribben in Freddy My Love, Sarah Williams in Worse Things, and Ashton Reed's stunning voice in Hopelessly Devoted.

Ashton plays the virginal Sandy, who is gradually seduced by booze, cigarettes and ear-piercing to find happiness in a leather jacket and the arms of her Danny, played with a winning blend of cute and cocky by Ben Huish.

It's a shame that the energy tends to evaporate in the dark hiatuses between scenes, and the dialogue, sometimes virtually inaudible, fares less well than the score. The Pink Ladies, for instance, might have picked up a lot more laughs for their banter.

But there's a whole load of lovely character work – David Finch's creepy DJ, Jack Martyn's Doody, Alice Tunningley's cheerleader, Dan Carr's Eugene and a great comedy duo from Rhianna Howard and Mark Ellis as Jan and Roger.

Emma Firth's superb band is elevated at the back of the stage, which works very well in this show, where the music is king.

Standing room only for this sell-out run – testament to WOW!'s reputation and the pulling power of what is now a classic of musical theatre.

production shot by Steve Harris

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Tomorrow's Talent at Little Waltham

02.08.09

image from this year's Civic Theatre Show

"Don't Tell Mama"

The last time I saw Grease in the West End, I was struck by how bloated and coarse it had become.

No such complaints with Tomorrow's Talent, who filled the hall with Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys, singing the songs and telling the story in sixty energetic minutes: a lean, organic high school musical.

Joe Toland brought his considerable experience to Danny, and also worked as assistant director in the unbelievably tight four day rehearsal period.

Just as outstanding was 14 year old Emma Bennett as the clean living Sandy, brilliantly selling her songs with no mic, no lights, in this scarily intimate arena.

The young performers ranged from 8 to 18, from 3 foot something to 6 foot plus, and every one of them gave their all for Rydell High. And many of them had done “Fame” the week before !

Special mention for Alex Houlton's rangy Kennickie, Catherine Hale's pink-haired Frenchy, and Jess Moore's powerful Rizzo. Greg Bennett was a stylish Doody, and slipped into a halo and wings for a nicely delivered Beauty School Dropout.

While it did not exactly avoid “tasteless and vulgar movements”, the staging was packed with bright ideas, the tyres in Greased Lightning just one instance.

Grease was directed by Gavin Wilkinson, with Dance Captain Liz Pilgrim and karaoke MD Kris Rawlinson.

As well as their annual summer schools, Tomorrow's Talent, now entering their sixth successful year, run musical theatre classes every weekend during term time.