Grease – Pitlochry Festival Theatre

The cast of Grease at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Picture: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Grease continues at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre until 27 September 2025.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Oh, those summer nights in Pitlochry this season whisk audiences back to 1959 and the teenage angst of Rydell High School. Sandy, Danny, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds are in sparkling form, marking the beginning of the new programme.

In what is becoming a Pitlochry trademark celebration of talent, most of the cast are also musicians. The double saxophone arrangement for the opening number throbs with raucous energy, setting the tone for this production.

There is a conscious naivety in the staging, a simplicity that belies the skill in the show – wonderful choreography and gorgeous singing with some lush close harmonies. Sam Hardie’s direction is crisp, clear and playful. The transitions into song and dance seem to be character-driven – you can almost feel the moment where the only way to expand on the story is to bring in a bit of song and dance.

Sandy (Blythe Jandoo) and Danny (Alexander Service) are wonderfully youthful: their joy in being each other’s first loves and the awkwardness of trying to fit into real life at Rydell is actually touching. The supporting cast are suitably gauche and wear their skills lightly, often breaking ‘the fourth wall’, sharing enthusiasm with the audience directly.

This Rizzo (Fiona Wood) is a long way from the femme fatale she is often portrayed as. She’s as tough as a marshmallow and that vulnerability is palpable in her rendition of ‘There Are Worse Things I Could Do’. Kenickie (Tyler Collins) is a bit of a knucklehead (in the nicest possible way!) and very much an accidental leader in the T-Birds crew.

‘Beauty School Dropout’ all but stops the show – great comedic timing.

A delicious romp enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience – singing and dancing through the curtain calls – definitely a blast!

Fiona Orr