REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL
UK AND IRELAND TOUR
17 – 21 March 2026
Cliffs Pavilion
Southend
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL
UK AND IRELAND TOUR
17 – 21 March 2026
Cliffs Pavilion
Southend
Well there’s been an awful lot of hype regarding Legally Blonde on social media over the past week or so, with leading lady Amber Davies not being well enough to perform and then half the cast coming down with flu and colds too, forcing the rest of the cast to just sing the show through sitting on stage at one show last week in Milton Keynes, evidently not going down well with audiences.
So, there was a slight trepidation as to whether there would be a similar situation at Southend’s opening night at the Cliffs Pavilion but fortunately the show was definitely going on, albeit with understudy, Hannah Lowther, once again taking over the role of Elle Woods as sadly Amber is still not well.
For some, this may be considered disappointing but in this case, the rumours are that Hannah has made the role her own and is doing a pretty fine job of it. At this moment, I just want to point out that in my experience, and to my knowledge, there is not one understudy out there in theatre-land who is not capable of taking over any part, including the leading role. It’s what they train damn hard for, and on many occasions never actually get to play the role they have worked equally hard to perform, so it’s no surprise to discover that Hannah, like her many counterparts, has taken on this role like a pro. It’s also very clear that she has a huge fan base judging by the loud cheers she was greeted with on her initial stage entrance last night and this is no doubt due to the 1.5m followers she has gathered across her social media platforms.
Ok, back to the show - Legally Blonde the Musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the 2001 MGM film Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon. It tells the story of Delta Nu sorority girl, Elle Woods, who appears to have it all; good looks, great fashion sense and a penchant for pink. However, her life is turned upside down, when her snobby boyfriend, Warner, dumps her so he can start getting serious about his life and attend Harvard Law. Devastated and determined to get him back, Elle uses her unflappable charm to also get into Harvard.
The show starts as it means to go on - the opening number Omigod You Guys is bright, bold, fun and loud and sets the scene for Elle’s entrance which inevitably leads to delighted whoops from the Southend audience. This is a show that relentlessly turns out song after song with unforgiving energy and the humour also punches through every time. This is a great all round cast with good support from the hard working ensemble.
Jamie Chatterton as Warner, (who I was trying to figure out where I’d seen him before all throughout Act 1 - realised that he played a brilliant Alan Osmond in The Osmonds: A New Musical) plays Elle’s ex with a suitably arrogant air and Annabelle Terry takes on the unforgiving role of Vivienne, nicely redeeming herself at the end of the show. George Crawford plays the part of Elle’s adviser and friend, Emmett doing a lovely endearing job of gradually winning Elle’s affections.
Stand out support performance goes to Karen Mavundukure who, having seen this show a few times now, has to be the best Paulette I’ve ever seen. This girl is a powerhouse vocalist with some fabulous comedy bones and certainly holds nothing back in this role of the beautician and hairdresser who has a ‘thing’ for Ireland, especially the men! I hope St Patrick’s Day, yesterday, was suitably celebrated after the show!
Also, we cannot escape the fact that there are two adorable doggies in this show and Sprout and Milo who play Bruiser Woods and Rufus properly played their roles to perfection. I don’t usually like to see animals on stage but it is very obvious that these canines are being well cared for and look very much at ease on stage.
This musical has an abundance of numbers that keep the flow of the show going which are all executed fantastically well on a quite minimalist set for a production of this kind. However, it works really well and each song delivers every time. Hannah Lowther is rarely off stage and her vocals never falter. Her Delta Nu girls never far away and becoming a Greek Chorus in times of need - “You can see us but we’re not really here!”, Serena, Margot and Pilar, (Rosanna Harris, Emily Plews and Remi Ferdinand) are ever supportive. MD, Cerys McKenna does a fantastic job of making the band sound like there’s way more musicians in there than the actual seven.
With stereotypes, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams, Elle soon realises her potential and sets out to prove herself to her peers in the Courtroom. The “Gay or European” skit is a real hoot.
This production of Legally Blonde the Musical is loud and proud and boasts a fabulous cast and ensemble. I’ve heard that it’s practically sold out for every performance at Southend this week so if you don’t want to miss out on all the hype, grab your tickets now. The Southend audience on opening night were on their feet at the finale with the biggest cheers saved for Ms Lowther as Elle. Hannah deserves all the accolades. She is your traditional ‘work your way up from the bottom to the top’ grafter and it shows. She deserves every bit of success and is clearly destined for a fabulous theatrical career.
Review: Kim Tobin
So, there was a slight trepidation as to whether there would be a similar situation at Southend’s opening night at the Cliffs Pavilion but fortunately the show was definitely going on, albeit with understudy, Hannah Lowther, once again taking over the role of Elle Woods as sadly Amber is still not well.
For some, this may be considered disappointing but in this case, the rumours are that Hannah has made the role her own and is doing a pretty fine job of it. At this moment, I just want to point out that in my experience, and to my knowledge, there is not one understudy out there in theatre-land who is not capable of taking over any part, including the leading role. It’s what they train damn hard for, and on many occasions never actually get to play the role they have worked equally hard to perform, so it’s no surprise to discover that Hannah, like her many counterparts, has taken on this role like a pro. It’s also very clear that she has a huge fan base judging by the loud cheers she was greeted with on her initial stage entrance last night and this is no doubt due to the 1.5m followers she has gathered across her social media platforms.
Ok, back to the show - Legally Blonde the Musical is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the 2001 MGM film Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon. It tells the story of Delta Nu sorority girl, Elle Woods, who appears to have it all; good looks, great fashion sense and a penchant for pink. However, her life is turned upside down, when her snobby boyfriend, Warner, dumps her so he can start getting serious about his life and attend Harvard Law. Devastated and determined to get him back, Elle uses her unflappable charm to also get into Harvard.
The show starts as it means to go on - the opening number Omigod You Guys is bright, bold, fun and loud and sets the scene for Elle’s entrance which inevitably leads to delighted whoops from the Southend audience. This is a show that relentlessly turns out song after song with unforgiving energy and the humour also punches through every time. This is a great all round cast with good support from the hard working ensemble.
Jamie Chatterton as Warner, (who I was trying to figure out where I’d seen him before all throughout Act 1 - realised that he played a brilliant Alan Osmond in The Osmonds: A New Musical) plays Elle’s ex with a suitably arrogant air and Annabelle Terry takes on the unforgiving role of Vivienne, nicely redeeming herself at the end of the show. George Crawford plays the part of Elle’s adviser and friend, Emmett doing a lovely endearing job of gradually winning Elle’s affections.
Stand out support performance goes to Karen Mavundukure who, having seen this show a few times now, has to be the best Paulette I’ve ever seen. This girl is a powerhouse vocalist with some fabulous comedy bones and certainly holds nothing back in this role of the beautician and hairdresser who has a ‘thing’ for Ireland, especially the men! I hope St Patrick’s Day, yesterday, was suitably celebrated after the show!
Also, we cannot escape the fact that there are two adorable doggies in this show and Sprout and Milo who play Bruiser Woods and Rufus properly played their roles to perfection. I don’t usually like to see animals on stage but it is very obvious that these canines are being well cared for and look very much at ease on stage.
This musical has an abundance of numbers that keep the flow of the show going which are all executed fantastically well on a quite minimalist set for a production of this kind. However, it works really well and each song delivers every time. Hannah Lowther is rarely off stage and her vocals never falter. Her Delta Nu girls never far away and becoming a Greek Chorus in times of need - “You can see us but we’re not really here!”, Serena, Margot and Pilar, (Rosanna Harris, Emily Plews and Remi Ferdinand) are ever supportive. MD, Cerys McKenna does a fantastic job of making the band sound like there’s way more musicians in there than the actual seven.
With stereotypes, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams, Elle soon realises her potential and sets out to prove herself to her peers in the Courtroom. The “Gay or European” skit is a real hoot.
This production of Legally Blonde the Musical is loud and proud and boasts a fabulous cast and ensemble. I’ve heard that it’s practically sold out for every performance at Southend this week so if you don’t want to miss out on all the hype, grab your tickets now. The Southend audience on opening night were on their feet at the finale with the biggest cheers saved for Ms Lowther as Elle. Hannah deserves all the accolades. She is your traditional ‘work your way up from the bottom to the top’ grafter and it shows. She deserves every bit of success and is clearly destined for a fabulous theatrical career.
Review: Kim Tobin
Producers ROYO and Curve are delighted to announce that musical theatre and Tik Tok star, Hannah Lowther (SIX, West End; Heathers: The Musical, The Other Palace) will play Margot and Alternate Elle Woods in brand-new Made at Curve production of the West End and Broadway smash-hit LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL. Hannah will play the role of Elle Woods when the musical’s star Amber Davies (Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1; The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum; Pretty Woman, UK Tour) is not performing*. The musical will tour the UK and Ireland in 2026, opening at Leicester’s Curve theatre on 7 February and running until 2 January 2027.
They star alongside George Crawford (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum; Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park) as Emmett, Karen Mavundukure (Stranger Things, West End, The Colour Purple, Birmingham Hippodrome & UK Tour; Dreamgirls, West End) as Paulette, Adam Cooper (A Chorus Line, Curve/Sadler’s Wells; Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Sadler’s Wells; Billy Elliot, Universal) as Callahan, Jamie Chatterton (The Little Big Things, Soho Place; The Osmonds: A New Musical, UK & Ireland Tour) as Warner, Annabelle Terry (Scissorhandz, Southwark Playhouse Elephant; Hamlet, National Theatre) as Vivienne, Jocasta Almgill (A Chorus Line, Curve/Sadler’s Wells/UK Tour; Grease, Dominion Theatre) as Brooke, Rosanna Harris (Grease, UK Tour; The War of the Worlds: Spirit of Man, Arena Tour) as Serena and Remi Ferdinand (Hamilton, West End; Grease, West End) as Pilar. With Ty-Reece Stewart (Footballer’s Wives, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, UK & Ireland Tour) as Kyle and Bradley Delarosbel (A Chorus Line, Sadler’s Wells/Curve/Japan; Matilda the Musical, Netflix) as Carlos.
The cast is completed by Keanna Bloomfield (The Sound of Music; My Fair Lady, Curve), James Lim (Disney’s Aladdin, UK Tour; Clueless, West End), Aaron Shales (&Juliet, West End/UK & Ireland Tour; Fantasies Come True, The Other Palace), Jaime Tait (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, West End; Motown the Musical, West End), Daisy Twells (Muriel’s Wedding, Curve; Heathers, Soho Place/The Other Palace/UK Tour), Louie Wood (Billy Elliot; A Chorus Line, Curve), Raiaz Fisher (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End; Save The Cinema, Sky Cinema), Dylan Gordon-Jones (Freaky Friday The Musical, Home Manchester), Lauren Hampton (Half a Sixpence; Hello Dolly, Bristol Hippodrome) and Ollie Hart-Bradford (Legally Blonde, Curve; Elf, UK Tour).
The multi-award winning LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL features original music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach, based on the novel LEGALLY BLONDE by Amanda Browning and the iconic 2001 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Coolidge. It is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Kinky Boots; The Wizard of Oz; A Chorus Line) and choreographed by Leah Hill (Kinky Boots, UK and Ireland tour; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Curve & UK Tour; The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre) with musical supervision & additional arrangements by Matt Spencer-Smith (Here & Now, Birmingham Alexandra & UK and Ireland tour; Dear Evan Hansen, UK tour), set design by Colin Richmond (The Little Big Things, Soho Place; The Wizard of Oz, UK tour), costume design by Tom Rogers (Here & Now, Birmingham Alexandra & UK and Ireland tour; A Knight’s Tale The Musical, Manchester Opera House), wigs, hair & make-up design by Sam Cox (Moulin Rouge, West End, Broadway and International Tour; 13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House), lighting design by Ben Cracknell (Clueless, Trafalgar Theatre, The Wizard of Oz, London Palladium), sound design by Adam Fisher (Here & Now, UK & Ireland tour, Evita, London Palladium) and casting by Harry Blumenau CDG CDA (Kinky Boots, UK & Ireland Tour/West End; Ride the Cyclone, Southwark Playhouse Elephant).
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL comes hot off the heels of the sell-out tour of KINKY BOOTS, also directed by Foster and co-produced by Curve and ROYO.
“Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed”
This ultimate feel-good rom-com, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, follows Elle Woods on her transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Elle must prove she is more than blonde ambition, swap the changing rooms for the courtroom and learn that ‘being true to yourself never goes out of style.’
LEGALLY BLONDE is produced by ROYO and CURVE.
*Please check the website for Amber and Hannah’s performance dates.
Website: www.legallyblondeshow.com
Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, Facebook: @legallyblondeshow
X: @legallyshow
2026 TOUR SCHEDULE
7 – 21 February Leicester, Curve 0116 242 3595
curveonline.co.uk
24 – 28 February Southampton, Mayflower Theatre 02380 711 811
mayflower.org.uk
3 – 7 March Sheffield, Lyceum 0114 249 6000
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
10 – 14 March Milton Keynes Theatre
atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
17 – 21 March Southend, Cliffs Pavilion 0343 310 0030
thecliffspavilion.co.uk
24 – 28 March Canterbury, Marlowe 01227 787787
marlowetheatre.com
31 March – 4 April Birmingham, The Alexandra
atgtickets.com/Birmingham
7 – 11 April Glasgow, King’s Theatre
atgtickets.com/Glasgow
14 – 18 April Liverpool, Empire Theatre
atgtickets.com/liverpool
21 – 25 April York, Grand Opera House
atgtickets.com/York
5 – 9 May Truro, Hall for Cornwall 01872 262 466
hallforcornwall.co.uk
12 – 17 May Newcastle, Theatre Royal 0191 232 7010
theatreroyal.co.uk
19 – 23 May Nottingham, Theatre Royal 0115 989 5555
trch.co.uk
26 – 30 May Oxford, New Theatre
atgtickets.com/oxford
2 – 6 June Plymouth, Theatre Royal 01752 267222
theatreroyal.com
9 – 13 June Leeds, Grand Theatre 0113 243 0808
leedsheritagetheatres.com
16 – 20 June Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
wmc.org.uk
23 – 27 June Aberdeen, His Majesty's Theatre
aberdeenperformingarts.com
30 June – 4 July Bristol, Hippodrome
atgtickets.com/venues/Bristol
7 – 18 July Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre 0818719377 (ROI)
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 08442485101 (UK)
`
21 – 25 July Belfast, Grand Opera House
goh.co.uk
22 – 26 September Norwich, Theatre Royal 01603 630 000
norwichtheatre.org
29 September – 3 October Edinburgh Playhouse
atgtickets.com/edinburgh
6 – 10 October Aylesbury, Waterside
atgtickets.com/Aylesbury
13 – 17 October Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre
grandtheatre.co.uk
20 – 24 October Wimbledon, New Theatre
atgtickets.com/Wimbledon
27 – 31 October Hull, New Theatre 01482 300 306
hulltheatres.co.uk
3 – 14 November Manchester, Opera House
atgtickets.com/Manchester
17 – 21 November Stoke, Regents Theatre
atgtickets.com/stoke
24 – 28 November Woking, New Victoria Theatre
atgtickets.com/new-victoria-theatre
1 – 5 December Sunderland, Empire
atgtickets.com/sunderland-empire
15 December – 2 January 2027 Brighton, Theatre Royal
atgtickets.com/brighton
They star alongside George Crawford (The Great Gatsby, London Coliseum; Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park) as Emmett, Karen Mavundukure (Stranger Things, West End, The Colour Purple, Birmingham Hippodrome & UK Tour; Dreamgirls, West End) as Paulette, Adam Cooper (A Chorus Line, Curve/Sadler’s Wells; Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Sadler’s Wells; Billy Elliot, Universal) as Callahan, Jamie Chatterton (The Little Big Things, Soho Place; The Osmonds: A New Musical, UK & Ireland Tour) as Warner, Annabelle Terry (Scissorhandz, Southwark Playhouse Elephant; Hamlet, National Theatre) as Vivienne, Jocasta Almgill (A Chorus Line, Curve/Sadler’s Wells/UK Tour; Grease, Dominion Theatre) as Brooke, Rosanna Harris (Grease, UK Tour; The War of the Worlds: Spirit of Man, Arena Tour) as Serena and Remi Ferdinand (Hamilton, West End; Grease, West End) as Pilar. With Ty-Reece Stewart (Footballer’s Wives, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, UK & Ireland Tour) as Kyle and Bradley Delarosbel (A Chorus Line, Sadler’s Wells/Curve/Japan; Matilda the Musical, Netflix) as Carlos.
The cast is completed by Keanna Bloomfield (The Sound of Music; My Fair Lady, Curve), James Lim (Disney’s Aladdin, UK Tour; Clueless, West End), Aaron Shales (&Juliet, West End/UK & Ireland Tour; Fantasies Come True, The Other Palace), Jaime Tait (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, West End; Motown the Musical, West End), Daisy Twells (Muriel’s Wedding, Curve; Heathers, Soho Place/The Other Palace/UK Tour), Louie Wood (Billy Elliot; A Chorus Line, Curve), Raiaz Fisher (TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, West End; Save The Cinema, Sky Cinema), Dylan Gordon-Jones (Freaky Friday The Musical, Home Manchester), Lauren Hampton (Half a Sixpence; Hello Dolly, Bristol Hippodrome) and Ollie Hart-Bradford (Legally Blonde, Curve; Elf, UK Tour).
The multi-award winning LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL features original music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach, based on the novel LEGALLY BLONDE by Amanda Browning and the iconic 2001 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Coolidge. It is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Kinky Boots; The Wizard of Oz; A Chorus Line) and choreographed by Leah Hill (Kinky Boots, UK and Ireland tour; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Curve & UK Tour; The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre) with musical supervision & additional arrangements by Matt Spencer-Smith (Here & Now, Birmingham Alexandra & UK and Ireland tour; Dear Evan Hansen, UK tour), set design by Colin Richmond (The Little Big Things, Soho Place; The Wizard of Oz, UK tour), costume design by Tom Rogers (Here & Now, Birmingham Alexandra & UK and Ireland tour; A Knight’s Tale The Musical, Manchester Opera House), wigs, hair & make-up design by Sam Cox (Moulin Rouge, West End, Broadway and International Tour; 13 Going On 30 The Musical, Manchester Opera House), lighting design by Ben Cracknell (Clueless, Trafalgar Theatre, The Wizard of Oz, London Palladium), sound design by Adam Fisher (Here & Now, UK & Ireland tour, Evita, London Palladium) and casting by Harry Blumenau CDG CDA (Kinky Boots, UK & Ireland Tour/West End; Ride the Cyclone, Southwark Playhouse Elephant).
LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL comes hot off the heels of the sell-out tour of KINKY BOOTS, also directed by Foster and co-produced by Curve and ROYO.
“Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed”
This ultimate feel-good rom-com, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, follows Elle Woods on her transformation from ‘It Girl’ fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love. Elle must prove she is more than blonde ambition, swap the changing rooms for the courtroom and learn that ‘being true to yourself never goes out of style.’
LEGALLY BLONDE is produced by ROYO and CURVE.
*Please check the website for Amber and Hannah’s performance dates.
Website: www.legallyblondeshow.com
Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, Facebook: @legallyblondeshow
X: @legallyshow
2026 TOUR SCHEDULE
7 – 21 February Leicester, Curve 0116 242 3595
curveonline.co.uk
24 – 28 February Southampton, Mayflower Theatre 02380 711 811
mayflower.org.uk
3 – 7 March Sheffield, Lyceum 0114 249 6000
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
10 – 14 March Milton Keynes Theatre
atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
17 – 21 March Southend, Cliffs Pavilion 0343 310 0030
thecliffspavilion.co.uk
24 – 28 March Canterbury, Marlowe 01227 787787
marlowetheatre.com
31 March – 4 April Birmingham, The Alexandra
atgtickets.com/Birmingham
7 – 11 April Glasgow, King’s Theatre
atgtickets.com/Glasgow
14 – 18 April Liverpool, Empire Theatre
atgtickets.com/liverpool
21 – 25 April York, Grand Opera House
atgtickets.com/York
5 – 9 May Truro, Hall for Cornwall 01872 262 466
hallforcornwall.co.uk
12 – 17 May Newcastle, Theatre Royal 0191 232 7010
theatreroyal.co.uk
19 – 23 May Nottingham, Theatre Royal 0115 989 5555
trch.co.uk
26 – 30 May Oxford, New Theatre
atgtickets.com/oxford
2 – 6 June Plymouth, Theatre Royal 01752 267222
theatreroyal.com
9 – 13 June Leeds, Grand Theatre 0113 243 0808
leedsheritagetheatres.com
16 – 20 June Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
wmc.org.uk
23 – 27 June Aberdeen, His Majesty's Theatre
aberdeenperformingarts.com
30 June – 4 July Bristol, Hippodrome
atgtickets.com/venues/Bristol
7 – 18 July Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre 0818719377 (ROI)
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 08442485101 (UK)
`
21 – 25 July Belfast, Grand Opera House
goh.co.uk
22 – 26 September Norwich, Theatre Royal 01603 630 000
norwichtheatre.org
29 September – 3 October Edinburgh Playhouse
atgtickets.com/edinburgh
6 – 10 October Aylesbury, Waterside
atgtickets.com/Aylesbury
13 – 17 October Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre
grandtheatre.co.uk
20 – 24 October Wimbledon, New Theatre
atgtickets.com/Wimbledon
27 – 31 October Hull, New Theatre 01482 300 306
hulltheatres.co.uk
3 – 14 November Manchester, Opera House
atgtickets.com/Manchester
17 – 21 November Stoke, Regents Theatre
atgtickets.com/stoke
24 – 28 November Woking, New Victoria Theatre
atgtickets.com/new-victoria-theatre
1 – 5 December Sunderland, Empire
atgtickets.com/sunderland-empire
15 December – 2 January 2027 Brighton, Theatre Royal
atgtickets.com/brighton