Grease continues at Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire until 7 September 2025.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Grease is one of those shows that everyone knows, even people who don’t like musicals. Who among us hasn’t performed one half of the legendary megamix (badly) at a wedding or Christmas party? Steeped in kitsch 1950s nostalgia, the original ‘high school musical’ premiered on stage in 1971 before being immortalised on film with the world’s tightest trousers in 1978, cementing the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
The show has enjoyed recent London runs and UK tours, and if you just can’t wait to get back to Rydell High, Kilworth House Theatre has a brand-new production for you. Taking us through the fallout between Danny (Michael Nelson) and Sandy (Lillia Squires) following their summer romance, along with the lives of their friends, the show follows the sublime 42nd Street which recently wowed at the outdoor venue. But with such a well-known and often-visited show, audiences may ask… Is Grease still the word?
As a musical, the answer is, mostly, a resounding “yes”. With its iconic score by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey that everyone knows the words to, Grease remains a really enjoyable night out. The show soars during the most well-known songs (‘Summer Nights’, ‘Greased Lightnin’’, ‘You’re the One That I Want’…), and also uses less famous songs to flesh out the peripheral characters and give them their own stories.
These are mostly successful, although a couple do slow the pace (‘Freddy My Love’, for example) and make the book feel a bit flabby. It’s also a show that only really works as a piece of nostalgia, with the characters written as the worst type of insufferable teenagers, the boys being hormonal idiots for two hours and the girls letting them get away with it. Everything’s very two-dimensional, and the message at the end remains questionable, but it gets away with it because it’s Grease, and that’s what the audience came for.
Kilworth House Theatre productions are always worth seeing, but something about Grease feels less successful than other offerings in the last couple of years. It may be that it suffers in comparison to how good 42nd Street was, but this production never quite hits its stride.
Grease works best when it retains a bit of its dark edge, but director Ryan-Lee Seager (who also choreographs) leans more towards kitsch frothiness. The show needs grit and groove, and with some lacklustre choreography and key moments lacking energy, the show doesn’t quite tick either box. When the ensemble numbers ignite, it is thrilling, but there are too many moments of posing or repeated juvenile thrusting which become repetitive and uninteresting. It does however look great as a production, with some fantastic set design and eye-catching costumes, and the car reveal for ‘Greased Lightnin’’ is well-delivered.
Performances are fine rather than stellar, with the actors being trapped into performing the standard blueprints of the characters with little chance to show individuality or range. It’s great to see Nelson leading a show after some great work on the & Juliet tour The vocals could occasionally be more powerful and the swagger doesn’t always feel a natural fit but he undoubtedly looks the part and remains a fantastic dancer which he gets to demonstrate.
Squires does well as Sandy but the character’s side-lining for the middle of the show doesn’t leave her much to do, although her ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ sounds great.
Julia Imbach fares better, with the role of Rizzo always being far more interesting, and she infuses her with spirit and strength. Also standing out is Millicent Blair as Frenchy, who radiates charm and likeability, as does Declan Egan who joins her in ‘Beauty School Dropout’ as Teen Angel.
Half a century young, this new production proves that Grease still has groove and it still has meaning. It may not be perfect, but it’s a fun jolt of nostalgia certain to liven up your ‘Summer Nights’ over the next few months.
Rob Bartley
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.