Grease

Grease, the musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, premiered in Chicago 1971, followed shortly afterwards by the film of the same name in 1978. It is set in Rydell High School (based on a real school in Chicago) and follows a group of teenagers as they wrestle with peer pressure, personal values, teenage pregnancy, politics and love in the 1950s. It was unusual in allowing the female lead to transform into the fantasy of the male lead rather than convert him into a more sensitive and sympathetic character, as was common in films of the period, and the film quickly made many of the show’s songs into well-known hits.

As the curtains opened we were greeted by a striking set, with the orchestra set up high on a platform at the back, and we were soon drawn into the lives of these 1950s’ teenagers. Director Jack Edwards and Choreographer Jacqueline Willis, who both came up through the ranks in Players so know what they can achieve, must be applauded for pulling together such a fine production. The acting, singing, choreography, costumes, orchestra, sound and lighting were all absolutely spot on.

Set changes, executed by cast and crew, flowed smoothly, and were aided by the distraction of the announcements of radio DJ Vince Fontaine (Trevor Bratty) positioned in one of the theatre’s boxes – a clever touch. The costumes – all from Players’ own wardrobe - looked exactly right for the period and were colourful and varied – take a bow Carrole Coles. Well-designed lighting completed the picture. Chorus and solo singing was excellent; the imaginative choreography had obviously been well-drilled and the small, but beautifully formed orchestra, under the direction of Andrew Woodford, complemented every scene and never overwhelmed the singers.

It was good to see a number of new faces, bringing some added vitality to the Players’ stage. Most notably, Charlie Frame, who gave a powerful and athletic performance as Danny Zuko, really nailing Danny’s feigned ambivalence towards Sandy, and with a great singing voice to-boot. Olivia Collins simply was Sandy in her looks, movement and beautifully melodious voice. They blended together perfectly in their duets.

The two leads had strong support from the other teenagers. Katherine Duffy was perfectly ditzy as cheerleader Patty; Hayley Warner was spot on as the superior and snobbish Marty; Kayleigh Pendry was nicely blunt and sensible as Jan, and Beth Evans quickly gained our sympathy as inept beautician Frenchy. Kimberley Harvey was utterly convincing as the tough Italian Rizzo, making us hate her for mocking Sandy and then getting our sympathy when she thinks she’s pregnant. Amongst the guys, Andy Warner stood out as the goofy and self-confident Roger (Rump), and Michael Kurn was great as the hard-nosed tough-guy Kenickie. Tom Wood as Doody convinced us he could be a rock star, despite hardly playing a note on the guitar; Kyle Major was splendid as would-be Casanova Sonny, and Luke Coffey seemed born to play the awkward nerd Eugene! And what can I say about Stuart Warner? As Teen Angel, he gave us a masterclass in how to milk the very last drop of adoration and applause from an audience, but with that voice, you could forgive him anything.

Before seeing the show, I wondered whether Grease hadn’t already been done too much recently, but this production was simply superb in every respect, with outstanding direction and performances. This was Portsmouth Players at their very best and if you wanted a lively, colourful and musical evening, the King’s Theatre was definitely the place to be.

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