London had been raving about Nikolai Foster’s new production of Grease, so the City Adventurers headed to the Dominion Theatre to see what all the fuss was about.
Just like Lloyd Weber’s Cinderella offered a gritty take on the loved fairy story, this production was supposed to offer a slightly tougher take on the well loved film. Not that Grease being a stage musical was unusual. In fact, Grease actually began life as a a stage musical. It opened on Broadway in 1971, and premiered in London premiere in 1973.
The show
We settled back for 2 hours 30 minutes to watch the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies navigate their way trough the trials and tribulations of senior year at Rydell High and to see the ramifications of the whirlwind summer romance between Danny and Sandy.
Leather-clad greaser Danny Zuko was played by Dan Partridge. Girl-next-door Sandy was embodied by Olivia Moore. While the leads were good, a shout out should also go to Paul French as Kenickie and Jocasta Almgill as Betty Rizzo, the latter being just as good and, some may say, more interesting characters. Vince Fontaine is usually played by Peter Andre, although on the day we went Darren Bennett (Alternate Vince Fontaine) wowed the show. The website also notes that (at certain performances) Jason Donovan will be performing as Teen Angel.
Was it as good as the film? Well, I found it better than the film.
A fantastic night out that will have you dancing and singing along at the end. (NB but not before!)
Recommended.
The production is recommended for ages 7+. Children under the age of 5 cannot be admitted. Children aged 15 or under must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets from https://www.nederlander.co.uk/whats-on/grease
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