Legally Blonde The Musical

This was a busy and energetic show. Movement and dance accompanied most numbers and kept folk literally on their toes. The storyline of young high school girl Ellie in love with Warner found herself rejected because her background and blonde dumb stereotype did not fit in with his wealthy and aspiring lifestyle. Hoping he would change, Ellie followed him into law college where she discovered she was still seen only by the colour of her hair. With the help of her two friends, she set out to combat this prejudice and showed she was an acute lawyer along the way. All principals were strong and singing was well delivered. Chloe Leslie as Ellie Woods took us through all the stages of self discovery, delighting the audience with her feistiness when she rejected her college lecturer’s advances. The fickle snob Warner Huntington III is played out in condescending manner by Kai Simpson learning his lesson too late. Her admirer, the earnest, hard working and determined student Emmett Forrest is nicely caught by Angus Reid while Charlotte Burnside as Vivienne Kensington, the superior and cruel law student, roused the audience’s ire when she tricked Ellie in inviting her to a fancy dress party that wasn’t. As the hairdresser Paulette, Mhairi Caulfield showed sympathy and understanding of Ellie’s plight while figuring out her own love life. The agile Deliveryman certainly stole his scenes in the hairdresser’s. The eventual villain of the piece turned out to be Professor Callaghan. Commanding in Blood in the Water, Johnny Collins portrayed the role as one ruthless in pursuit of the sharpest minds for his advantage but erred in mistaking blonde for available, destroying his reputation. In common with lots of shows recently, and with chorus numbers here, the orchestra and sound could have been better balanced with words sometimes lost. That said, all the groups like the Frat Boys, The Sorority Girls and Delta Nus delivered their routines with verve and confidence. And characters had some hilarious moments and lines. The scene changes all went smoothly. The predominantly young cast gave their best, delivered the humour and wowed their audience - certainly a show to remember with pride.

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