We reviewed the current production of 'Waitress earlier in its run. This review is an updated version of a previously published one.
Legally Blonde is a musical based on the novel of the same name by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon.
The show tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial.
The show premiered in San Francisco, before a move to Broadway in 2007, receiving seven Tony nominations. The West End production opened in 2010 and was nominated for five Olivier Awards, winning three including 'Best New Musical'.
And that's a point I think we need to stress that Legally Blonde is so much more than a pink, fluffy love story. The show has sequins and sparkle, but its also a vocally demanding, high energy salute to equality. It deals with some important issues and is as relevant today as it was when it made its debut almost two decades ago.
Unbelievably it's been almost seven months since I saw this production in Birmingham - and the tour is heading towards its conclusion in the new year. A limited West End season has been announced for March 2027 with Amber being the only cast member confirmed, so for many of the others it's heading towards the final few venues so you could be forgiven for thinking they might be slowing down. WRONG.
This cast are undeniably, and effortlessly talented and are showing no signs of stopping...in fact I'd argue this performance blew my previous five-star rated intro to the production out of the water.
The design for this show is the first thing that hits you. There are differences between this production and previous incarnations, some of which have drawn criticism for losing a 'period' feel. Whilst there's definitely a charm to the original 2000s vibe of previous staging choices, and a clear link back to the film, I'm not convinced that the 'new look' Legally needs to stick to that to be relevant and enjoyable.
Part of the principle of this show is that Elle could be anybody in any decade and the push back's she's subject to aren't exclusive to a specific generation. It's also important to note that this is a young cast - a number of whom have a presence online which is bringing younger audiences into theatres and that's never something to be scoffed at. If adding some neon lights and reimagining a few lines will do that, then count me in!
There's also a re-working of 'Legally Blonde Remix' which removes a chunk of the song and curtails the Paulette/Kyle subplot - however, whilst that song is a stand-out moment of the show, I don't know that removing those few minutes was particularly detrimental either.
What really makes a show like this is the cast and with some slick choreography and some incredibly energetic musical numbers, nobody has a place to hide.
Keanna Bloomfield stepped in as Paulette and oh my good lord what an incredible talent. Her vocals were spot on and her mannerisms embodied everything I wanted from the character.
I'm in awe of George Crawford's interpretation of Emmett, a role I think is one of the best written male roles in the industry. Crawford's already performed with our leading lady and that chemistry is just growing and growing. It's clear they're friends and the implicit trust that needs to be found between these two characters is there in abundance. Their performance of 'Take It Like A Man' and 'Legally Blonde' - two of the shows best songs - were stand out moments.
Talking of being in awe - can we mention Annabelle Terry and her version of Vivienne? Elle is definitely a role of many actors dreams, but Viv has to be up there too. She has many stand out moments through the show, but there's definitely three of them, punctuated by some insane high notes.
We'll call them 'frickin shoes', 'blonnnnnnde' and 'finale' - and if the opportunity ever arose, to stand on a professional stage and belt those out at the top of your voice must be incredible.Terry does an incredible job of it and gives us 'evil but likeable' Viv, which is well received.
Special mention to our three Delta Nu's who are also exceptional. As I said before, previous productions haven't made as much of these roles as this one does and that's to its credit. Rosanna Harris, Remi Ferdinand and Hannah Lowther are three exceptionally talented women and they bring a new edge and a dynamic to the trio that hits differently.
However, for me the out and out star of tonight was Amber Davies.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Davies is one of the best talents in the UK right now. Her vocals are stunning, her comic timing is exceptional and her ability to take us from laugh-out-loud to emotionally drained is notable. In particular, the opt up in 'Omigod You Guys' and the sensitivity of 'Legally Blonde', for very different reasons, gave whole-body goosebumps.
I said it before and I will stand by my claim that her 'Elle' is easily the best I've seen and the fact she'll be continuing in London is incredible - because it gives thousands more the chance to experience the same feeling we all had this evening.
It's fair to say Davies has had criticism - not least back at the start of this tour - for being the 'social media star' who was put into a role because of her following, an accusation also levied at Lowther. Both of these women are incredible performers and their online presence is a happy coincidence. However what it doesn't do is define them and if that all vanished tomorrow, their merit as actors is more than enough on its own.
Without doubt, the company on stage at The Grand tonight definitely show why British theatre is right at the top of its game. They gave us a world class performance - if there was an award for casting, the Legally team should take it home!
This show is loud, bright, funny, emotional and an unapologetically brilliant night out at the theatre.
Legally Blonde plays at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 17th October. For more information and tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk.
