Book, music and lyrics: Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Director: Sam Hardie
As a musical that requires the triple threat performer, it’s already a big ask. And now, in the latest rendition of Grease the Musical – a partnership between Blackpool Grand and Pitlochry Festival Theatre – the ask has got even bigger, with the cast needing a fourth talent of incorporating an instrument into their role.
The all-singing, all-dancing popular tale we all know and love has turned into an actor-musician led piece. And while certainly impressive, it does mean that some of the magic of the original show is lost.
For shows like Once and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the Musical, this approach really works – the shows born as actor-musician led pieces and instruments weaved into the narrative beautifully and effortlessly, with actors given the chance to really shine with their acting and musical ability. But here, it’s almost as if too much is expected of the performers, trying to do the hand jive while also donning a guitar or sax around the neck, while also trying to maintain character relationships.
Priority has been given to finding performers who can play an instrument, meaning that casting isn’t as bob on as you would hope. We have a sassier Sandy (who is one of the only performers on stage to not play an instrument), a much gigglier Rizzo despite the challenges she faces and a Danny who doesn’t don the Travolta moves. That said, there are some great performances too, in particular Leah Jamieson as Jan and Eden Barrie as Marty – who certainly deserves a leading lady role and whose characterisation and vocals ironically felt more like a Sandy.
The choreography, while reflective of the 50s era, is very basic – understandable given the direction of the show, but disappointing for die-hard fans who associate Grease with the big and high energy ensemble numbers. There’s no impressive stunts, all the cast do the same moves for each performance and in the final number, You’re the One That I Want, Danny and Sandy spend more time at opposite ends of the stage than they do together – making it difficult to feel their chemistry.
But all the songs you know and love are still in there and while they don’t have you jumping from your seat, they are sung and performed well. From Summer Nights, to There are Worse Things I Could Do, to We Go Together, there’s a reason this musical score is still going strong more than 50 years on.
It may not be the rama lama lama revival it could be, but the vision and idea is to be applauded. It was most certainly worth a try, but for this particular show the ‘magic moments’ should come in the character development, the belting vocals and the huge dance numbers – rather than trying to add another string to the bow. Having only recently had the touring production of Grease round the corner at Blackpool Winter Gardens last year, this was unfortunately made only more evident. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
Runs until Saturday 14 June 2025.
