Grease

Any stage production of Grease has a lot to live up to, being compared with the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John film. But as soon as Juliet Fisher’s production got underway, the film was forgotten.  We were given a stonkingly bright, colourful show and the audience loved every minute of it. 

Elliot Scott-Lolley as Danny Zuko and Mia Davies as sandy Dumbrowski were very well matched, both having great acting and singing skills.  They really made their on/off relationship convincing.  Charlotte Raybould as Rizzo gave a strong performance as didSamantha Rogers as Marty (Great Singing).  Emily Loftus as Frenchy gave us a convincing Frenchy and how everyone loved the pink hair.  Great support came from Eloise Tanley as Jan, who somehow managed to eat and sing at the same time, Maria McGarrigle as Patty, Jo Browning as Miss Lynch and Charlene Payton as the Rydell Receptionist, a role she made her own.

The Male roles were also well performed. Dan McCloskey gave us a strong performance as Kenickie with strong stage presence.  Alex Nash played Guitar strumming Doody well as did Alex Tuckwell as ladies man Sonny.  James Rowney as Roger gave us a lonely rendition of ‘Mooning’.  Great support came from Mark Welch as Teen Angel and Mike Willis as Vince Fontaine, and Janine Revell as Cha-Cha Digregorio.  Last but not least the audience could not forget Billy Skinner as Eugene Florczyk. 

The ensemble supported the principals well and really worked well as a team with them all staying in character.

Musical Director, Andrew Timmins, led a good sounding band and Connie Mortiboy brought the production to life with the choreography.

The set, though simple, filled the stage and looked really effective.  Costumes looked good from the audience point of view right down to the shoes.  Sound and lighting was effective for the production.  The backstage crew did an excellent job and you hardly noticed them. 

Juliet Fisher should be very pleased with this production.  You could tell that the cast enjoyed it as much as the sell out audience.

Congratulations to you all, thanks for the invite from me, Andy (NODA Regional Councillor) and NODA President Graham and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Paul Duglass – Regional Representative District 9

Having attended several productions by Tudor Musical Comedy Society, I was very much looking forward to their latest offering — the ever-popular Grease.

In September 2024, Graham Liverton was appointed NODA National President, a role held for just one year. I was delighted to welcome both Graham and his wife, Ann, to the West Midlands for what would be his final show in the role. Following the performance, Graham spoke about how much he had enjoyed the show, praising the high quality of the production — sentiments that I wholeheartedly echo, as well as the comments made by Paul within his show report.

This was a well-rehearsed production, featuring strong choreography and attention to detail. Characterisation across the cast was convincing, with performers demonstrating a solid understanding of their characters' backstories. The use of stage space, and at times, the auditorium, was creative and engaging. The iconic Greased Lightning car certainly lived up to expectations and was a real highlight.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025 for transporting us back to Rydell High and capturing the spirit of 1959 so vividly. Grease truly was the word!

I now look forward to rejoining Tudor Musical Comedy Society in October 2026 for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Andy Brown – Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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