SOUTHEND THEATRE SCENE
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Main feature writer - Kim Tobin
  • COMING UP
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
    • David Streames Interview
    • Daniel O'Donnell
    • Matt Wycliffe Interview - Million Dollar Quartet
    • Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
    • Tony Stockwell Interview
    • Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour - Interview with Emma Crossley
    • Phil Walker - Guitar Heroes
    • Rock for Heroes Review
    • Once the Musical - We interview Daniel Healy & Emma Lucia as we are invited to watch the cast rehearse!
    • The Overtones 2019
    • Derren Brown - Showman
    • Stephen K Amos Interview
    • Geoff Norcott INTERVIEW
    • Diversity and Kev Orkian Interviews
    • Giles Cooper talks about Nigel Slater's TOAST
    • Kristian Lavercombe - Riff Raff - Rocky Horror Show
    • Dan Partridge & Martha Kirby talk Grease the Musical
    • Village Green Festival 2019
    • Lee Mead, David Streames & Richard Foster
    • Craig Revel Horwood
    • Jenny Gayner
    • Nigel Slater
    • Alex Bourne Interview - Annie Tour 2019
    • Beverley Craven Interview
    • Gary Barlow and Tim Firth Interview - Calendar Girls
    • Tom Stade 2019 Interview
    • Karen Gibson - The Kingdom Choir
    • AJ Pritchard
    • Jonathan Wrather - The Picture of Dorian Gray - Tilted Wig Productions
    • Kevin Clifton & Graziano Di Prima Interview - Burn the Floor
    • Elesha Paul Moses Interview - Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
    • Juliet Mills & Maxwell Caulfield Interview
    • Juliet Mills Interview
    • Holly Liburd - The Bodyguard
    • Alexandra Burke - The Bodyguard
    • Janine Duvitski Interview
    • Matthew Kelly & David Yelland
    • Aled Jones Interview
    • Quadrophenia Live Interview with Doug Freeman
    • Diversity's Ashley Banjo, Jordan Banjo, Perri Kiely & Terry Smith
    • Ali James & James Cranfield
    • Ed Speleers, Mairi Barclay & Adam Lilley
    • Rachel Lumberg & Faye Christall Interview
    • Rain Main - Mathew Horne & Ed Speleers
    • Charles Sharman-Cox
    • Matt Terry & Antoine Murray-Straughan
    • Collabro Road to the Royal Albert Hall Interview
    • Steve Michaels - Elvis
    • Paul Young Interview
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Jersey Boys Interview
    • Colin Blunstone - The Zombies
    • Dave Kelly - The Blues Band
    • Clive John - Johnny Cash Roadshow
    • Paul Opacic & Richard Walsh
    • Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace
    • Alexander O'Neal Interview
    • Kevin Whately - Our Finest Hour
    • Jenny Eclair - Grumpy Old Women Tour
    • Séan Aydon - Great Expectations
    • Joe McElderry Live in Concert
    • Nichola McAuliffe Interview
    • Natalie Anderson & Jonathan Halliwell
    • Geoff Norcott Interview
    • Mark Steel - Comedian Interview
    • Debra Stephenson & Alice Barlow
    • Dr Feelgood's Kevin Morris
    • Ali James Interview - Oh Yes It Is!
    • Tom Stade Interview
    • Sarah Earnshaw - Nativity the Musical
    • Karina Jones - Wait Until Dark
    • The Stylistics
    • Tom Chambers & Charlotte Wakefield
    • Jessie Wallace - Deathtrap
    • Paul Bradley - Deathtrap
    • George Kemp - The Wipers Times
    • Joe McElderry - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    • Ian Hislop & Nick Newman - The Wipers Times
    • Chris Simmons, All or Nothing the Musical
    • Caroline Flack, Tom Chambers Interview
    • Ruth Madoc
    • Scott Reid - Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
    • Samuel Clemens, Director
    • Elizabeth Elvin
    • Ray Cooney - Out of Order
    • Susie Amy
    • Sue Holderness
    • Shaun Williamson
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher & Oliver Ormson
    • Geoff Norcott
    • Navi - King of Pop
    • Damian Williams Interview
    • Carrie Hope Fletcher Interview
    • Samantha Womack Interview
    • Les Dennis Interview
    • Clive Mantle - The Verdict
    • Stephen Bailey Interview
    • Steve Hackett Interview
    • Alastair Whatley - The Original Theatre Company
    • Paul Carrack Interview
    • Janine Johnson - Back to Bacharach Interview
    • Lewis Griffiths - Dirty Dancing
    • Ben Portsmouth Elvis Tribute
    • Paul Nicholls - Shawshank Redemption
    • Anne Odeke - Night Must Fall
    • Elaine Paige
    • Jimmy Osmond - Christmas Extravaganza
    • Brian Conley & Gok Wan
    • Jonathan Kiley - Qdos Pantomine Producer
    • Lee Mead - Some Enchanted Evening
    • Maximum Rhythm & Blues
    • Joe McElderry - Northern Light Tour
    • Carol Harrison - All or Nothing
    • Paul Cattermole - The Rocky Horror Show
    • Tommy Steele
    • Cheryl Baker - Formerly of Bucks Fizz
    • Gabrielle Cocca from Cats the Musical
    • PJ Proby Interview
    • Ashleigh & Pudsey - Mission ImPudseyble
    • I'm Cold - Alex Thorn
    • Mon Amie - supporting Jason Donovan
    • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    • Richard Ede - The 39 Steps
    • Collabro
    • The Searchers
    • Fanny Galore
    • Paul Carrack
    • Rose Marie
    • Gary Wilmot, Noel Sullivan, Carley Stenson
    • Megan Terry
    • Sharon Rose - Little Eva in West End's Beautiful
    • Roy Chubby Brown - Britain's Rudest Comedian
    • Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane
    • Ben Portsmouth - Elvis Tribute Artist
    • Ugly Sisters, Martin Ramsdin & David Robbins - Cinderella
    • Lauren Hall (Cinderella)
    • Michael Harrison, West End Producer
    • Brian Conley
    • Sharon Rose - X Factor
    • The Bodyguard - Zoe Birkett Interview
    • Alex Bourne (Daddy Warbucks)
    • Michael Corbidge Royal Shakespeare Company
    • Ashton Moore - Samson
    • Joe Pasquale
    • Phill Jupitus
    • Michael Sharp Playwright
    • Ray Cooney OBE
  • MUSIC
  • YOUTUBE
    • Lockdown Show Time Introducing
  • Features
    • Echoes From Essex
    • Immersive Actor Training
    • Afternoon Tea at the Cliffs Pavilion
    • N-Act Theatre Stage - Village Green
    • Chameleon Productions
    • Sheku Kanneh-Mason
    • Aladdin - Panto Cast Announcement
    • Sounds Familiar Music Quiz
    • N-Act Theatre in Schools
    • Ray Cooney comes to see Lindisfarne perform his play
    • Theatre Etiquette
    • Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society's Backstage Crew
Picture
Grease
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
11th April - 15th April 2017

​The press night performance of Grease was, unfortunately, held up with technical difficulties so when the curtain finally rose to reveal the Company band, a-top the stage, playing the overture, it didn't take long for the almost packed out audience to join in with a bit of whooping and clapping, encouraged on by pony-tailed Musical Director,  Griff Johnson.

Griff wasn't the only one with a pony-tail as, being the Easter holidays, it would seem that plenty of parents had taken the opportunity to keep their youngsters entertained with this now iconic show and I spied quite a few young girls sporting the 'Pink Ladies" look of the period. 

Grease, the stage musical was brought to fruition almost 50 years ago, followed some years later with the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia  Newton John. There have been a few revivals of the stage show since its original outing and this latest touring version certainly has all the ingredients to attract a younger fan base whilst keeping those of a, let's say, more mature nature, more than entertained.  The three ladies sat in front of me were certainly having a splendid time, singing and swaying along to some of the songs, which although I'm sure put them in their reflective teenage element, was a little frustrating for the rest of us who just want to see and hear the people on the stage performing, (Sorry, had to get that off my chest - see my Theatre Etiquette feature.)

With The Wanted's Tom Parker and Over the Rainbow winner, Danielle Hope as Danny and Sandy, along with Louisa Lytton (Eastenders, The Bill, Strictly) playing Rizzo and Darren Day in the dual cameo roles of Vince Fontaine and Teen Angel, it certainly boasts a star studded cast.  With producers David Ian and Paul Nicholas on board, direction by David Gilmore and choreography by Arlene Phillips, the anticipation for a knock out show is certainly high and, I would say, it pretty much delivers.

Grease, the musical, stays very faithful to the film as far as dialogue and songs are concerned kicking off with a rousing version of Grease Is The Word from the cast.   
Picture
The Wanted's Tom Parker plays Danny in the show
Tom Parker puts in a fabulous performance as Danny insofar as his singing and dancing is concerned and even gets the opportunity to show off his guitar skills in Greased Lightening but he didn't quite convince me in the acting stakes. Danielle Hope, however, is the perfect innocent yet feisty, Sandy.  Louisa Lytton excels in There Are Worst Things I Could Do, really tugging at the heartstrings but some of the best performances are from the supporting cast.  I particularly enjoyed watching Ryan Heenan as Doody during the Those Magic Changes number and Oliver Jacobson and Rosanna Harris as Roger and Jan in Mooning.  Jan again in It's Raining on Prom Night with Sandy, both displaying some lovely harmonies.  Gabriella Williams as the baton twirling, pain in the neck, cheerleader, Patty, also deserves recognition for a great characterisation.

After spending the whole of Act 1 in the dressing room, Darren Day is a bit like a puppy who's been left on his leash for a bit too long and bursts on to the stage to give the parts of Vince Fontaine and the Teen Angel as good a run for their money as he can eke out of it and sporting some fabulous hair-do's - even breaking character during Beauty School Drop Out to crack a funny about the last time he was in Essex; some of the audience thought it was funny.  

Unlike the film, however, there is no actual car race show-down - to be fair, this would be tricky.  Instead Sandy turns up in all her black skin-tight, shiny leggings and a mass of blonde curls to wow Danny into submission in You're The One That I Want  and all is well with the world once again as everyone manages to couple up for the We Go Together Finale.

With a plethora of curtain calls amid a medley of numbers from the show, any niggles from technical delays were forgotten by the Cliffs Pavilion audience, who all left with smiles on their faces and with a few humming the familiar tunes from the show.

As Jim Jacobs, the creator of the original musical said of the show, "What Grease is really about - more than anything else - is having fun. So, just sit back, kick off your blue suede shoes, and relax. Have a ball!"  I think that pretty much sums it up.

To see the show go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135 but don't delay - tickets are going like 'Greased Lightening!'

Home

About

MUSIC

INTERVIEWS

FEATURES

Copyright © 2015