Legally Blonde the Musical – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

Book: Heather Hach

Music and Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Director: Nikolai Foster

Amanda Brown’s 2001 comic novel, written during her time at Stanford Law School, and its award-winning movie adaptation, released in the same year, starring Reese Witherspoon, inspired the creation of an equally award-winning musical back in 2007. This time, however, Legally Blonde The Musical is back in fashion, bringing the creative team behind the phenomenally successful Kinky Boots. Following the success of The Silence of the Lambs, Nikolai Foster marks his directorial return in this ultimate feel-good musical adaptation, telling the classic tale of not judging a book by its cover through its feminist protagonist, Elle Woods.

Legally Blonde first made its way to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in 2017. Now as prevalent and empowering as ever, the beloved musical comedy returns with a huge new production starring the immensely talented Strictly Come Dancing finalist, Amber Davies.

The former Love Island winner captures the essence of what it means to be Elle Woods right from the very start with showstopping numbers such as What You Want. The jam-packed comedic number sees Elle move from sunny Malibu to studious Harvard, where she brings famous lines such as “How’s this for a personal essay?’’

After showing the admissions board how being yourself never goes out of style, the musical shifts its tone towards the more pompous number, The Harvard Variations. This number is antithetical to the musical’s former bubblegum-pop style numbers, not only musically but also aesthetically. Following our bustling introduction to Elle and her colourful bouclé-clad sorority sisters in the opening number, Ohmigod Guys, The Harvard Variations number introduces us to the more classic archetypes at every prestigious university.

From swotty, condescending Vivienne (Annabelle Terry) to liberal, Gloria-Steinem-worshipping Enid (Aaron Shales), this cast of paradoxical Harvard pupils, who dress up in darker and more muted colour palettes despite all its frequent associations with mourning, brings an absolutely electrifying take on academic rivalry. Terry’s character perfectly serves as a foil to Davies’, while Shales, who provides the production with both a dance captain and an understudy, captures a pure and powerful platonic dynamic between her and her co-star. Adam Cooper follows with his rendition of the dissonant Blood in the Water number, showcasing law’s harsh, cutthroat reality, all while bringing a perfectly sinister portrayal of the antagonistic Professor Callahan. Elle, however, remains an inspiring force to be reckoned with, refusing to be tied down to such harmful stereotypes, proving her blonde hair has no effect on her IQ.

Positive is a ferocious number which echoes the classic satirical humour that made the iconic film a commercial success. Here, the sorority sisters bring harmonic hilarity as audiences watch Elle battle between her superego and id, all while Warner openly pits Elle and Vivienne against each other through his painfully embarrassing indecision. However, Elle’s strong moral compass of course guides her towards saving Brooke (Jocasta Almgill) from criminal injustice and choosing to love herself as well as the soulfully romantic underdog, Emmett (George Crawford).

Whether it is Elle’s sorority sisters sensing her broken heart simply because ‘she’s eating Milky Ways,’ or the venture into what lies beneath Vivienne’s proposed harsh exterior, this beautiful exploration of girlhood makes Legally Blonde The Musical a must-see.

Overall, the satirical sense of humour from the original pop-culture phenomenon that helped define the 2000s rom-com subgenre has successfully transformed this story into a smash-hit stage adaptation that is absolutely full to the brim with talent.

Runs until 17 October 2026 and on tour