Review: GREASE, The Alexandra Birmingham (UK tour)

Photo credit: Sean Ebsworth Barnes

As we all know, Grease is a classic film that is truly loved so you would be forgiven to think that the stage production would be a carbon copy, however it stands alone as a fabulous musical.  Of course, there are all the songs you know and love, but there are also some new songs to enjoy.  The plot is very similar to the film, however there is no mention of the T-Birds, instead we have the Burger Palace Boys.  The Pink Ladies are still there though, so no panic!  There are some darker moments between the boys’ gang that may have shown them in a different light to the funny, quirky boys in the film version.

The cast is a very talented bunch of performers who bring their own interpretations to the main roles including Dan Partridge as Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski played by Ellie Kingdon.  They have great chemistry on stage, and both have very strong voices.  Jan played by Maeve Byrne and Roger played by Josh Barnett provide wonderful comedic performances, especially throughout their main song ‘Mooning’. 

Of course, we cannot forget Peter Andre who stars as Vince Fontaine and also Teen Angel.  He brings a real energy to the stage and is a total crowd pleaser - the audience love him!  Andre stays on stage for the majority of the first act, just in your peripheral vision, as ‘Vince Fontaine’.  Act 2 shows off his talent when he leads the ‘Hand Jive’ and ‘Beauty School Drop Out’.  Andre does bring a well-needed boost to Act 2, as it feels at times during Act 1 that the plot waivers slightly.

The group dance numbers, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, are a real spectacle.  The dancing is slick and certainly gives off that ‘Grease’ vibe that you may remember from the film.  The ‘Hand Jive’ routine is particularly first class with some fantastic performances from Alishia-Marie Blake as Cha Cha and Dan Partridge as Danny.

All in all, Grease is a fantastic night out, with high energy performances and familiar songs that you will be singing all the way home!

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Emma Rowley

Grease runs at The Alexandra Theatre until 6 November 2021, with tickets available for the tour here.