Legally Blonde – Kilworth House Theatre

Jennifer Harding and Luke Newton in Legally Blonde at Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire

Legally Blonde continues at the Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire until 20 September.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Set amid the sun-dappled glade of the Kilworth House Theatre, this production is everything a summer musical should be – masterfully performed, delightfully silly and full of an infectious joy which keeps you smiling long after curtain fall.

One of two big productions delivered by this canopied open-air theatre every summer, Legally Blonde is a full-on celebration of big dreams, blonde ambition, and every shade of pink you can imagine. On paper, this amount of candy-fever and fairy castle in the sky should stick in the throat, but this show has its tongue firmly in its cheek – it’s just as happy to laugh at its own outrageous plot as we are.

Based upon the 2001 Hollywood film of the same title, Legally Blonde follows the story of  sorority-bred, Malibu fashion student Elle Woods, whose dreams are turned upside down when the dashing but egotistical love of her glittery life, Warner, proposes not the expected marriage, but a break up. Primed for Harvard and with more than a mere whiff of a parental ultimatum, Warner is in favour of a girl more ‘Jackie’ than ‘Marilyn’.

Knocked back, but pepped up by her ‘OhMiGod’ greek chorus of sorority sisters, Elle pursues Warner with trademark relentless optimism, parading herself (quite literally) into a place at Harvard Law, with hopes of showing him just how serious she can be. Jennifer Harding is perfectly cast as Elle, exuberant in the fizzy girlishness of the role, and proving herself a master of comic delivery, notably in her telling exchange with Will Keith’s snobbish sales assistant (pink ‘n’ fluffy Elle may be, but don’t try and get last year’s puckered seams past her!). Luke Newton beautifully complements as Warner, silken-voiced and chiselled, with just the right amount of infuriating condescension.

This is a superbly dexterous show. The cast and crew migrate nimbly around Philip Witcomb’s extraordinary puzzle-box set, routing golf carts, stair sets, and a full sized caravan –  perhaps the only part of the design which seems a little elaborate in comparison for just the one scene in which it is used, but nevertheless an impressive set piece. Even the band, packed into a tiny marquee beyond the stage, spares no grandeur in the arrangements, and sounds fantastic.

Back at Harvard Law, Elle treads water, kicked out of class and beaten down by her peers and snide love-rival, Vivienne (Grace Holdstock). She must navigate her new terrain with the help of her teaching assistant Emmett, her stylist Paulette and of course, her lapdog, Bruiser (One of two dogs on stage, and by far the least mischievous – Nancy, you know what you did!) to win the approval and coveted internship of the dastardly Professor Callahan. Graham Vick clearly delights in the role of Callahan, playing the shark-like tutor on just the right side of pantomime, while Greg Miller Burns as Emmett is heart-warmingly tender, both in temperament and voice.

All’s well that ends well, though, not without some pathos along the way – Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin’s witty score is rife with mirth, but also provides some truly moving ballads which Harding’s mature vocal handles with a stirring competency. Jodie Jacobs as Paulette must also be mentioned for her powerhouse rendition of ‘Ireland’,

What stands out most in this production, however, is the joy of the ensemble work. There is a huge mutual support evident throughout the chorus, seizing Mitch Sebastian’s spirited choreography and direction with unabated energy, blasting out song even through uncompromising marching band/skipping-rope routines which wouldn’t be out of place at an army base. Jenny Gayner is suitably hardcore as the murder suspect Brooke Wyndham, leading the prison girls ferociously onward. The ensemble drives the pace jubilantly throughout, with some wonderfully characterised smaller roles, notably Jodie Steele as party girl Margot, James Cohen as the hilariously steamy Kyle, The UPS guy, and Joanne McShane (also dance captain) as the fantastically frumpish Chutney.

This is not Chekov, nor does it need to be. The show is full of heart, marbled with irony, and more than fulfils its promise to the audience, who were left cheering, flushed, and giving no thought to the chilly night air. We hadn’t even noticed it had gotten dark.

Aura Simon

http://www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk