Get ready to be swept off your feet by the high-octane and fast-paced energy of Grease the Musical! From the moment the cast graces the stage, you’ll be on a thrilling ride that doesn’t let up until the exhilarating end!
Many of us are familiar with Grease, the movie, but the movie bears little relationship to the original stage show as written by Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs. Originally set in Chicago, and with an altogether grittier theme, Grease was meant to be a social commentary piece with the action and the characters based on the High School experiences of the writers.
Grease The Musical beautifully weaves together the beloved elements of the movie with respectful nods to the original stage show. From the use of the original name, The Burger Palace Boys, to the return of solo songs for secondary characters, the show is a delightful blend of old and new.
The musical still carries the familiar themes, too – Sandy and Danny meet on a beach and spend the summer together before bumping into each other in school, where Danny suffers ridicule for his crush on a ‘good girl’, destroying his ‘cool bad boy’ image. It’s arguably grittier, though, and you get a much more distinct feel for the rawness of working-class kids floundering through the awkwardness of adolescence, struggling to work out their identities, their place in life, and what they want from it.
The set is elaborate and imaginatively used, although the star of the show has to be the 1948 Ford Delux shell as the infamous Greased Lightning. The cast are all strong performers who work well together without any one character overpowering another. And what can we say about the dancing? When you discover the choreographer was Arlene Phillips, you’ll believe us when we say it was in a class all its own!
In short, Grease The Musical was, in the consensus of the two reviewers, one of the best shows we’ve ever seen at The Churchill Theatre. Get down there to see it – you will not be disappointed.
Playing at The Churchill Theatre until Saturday 20th of April 2024. Visit here to book your tickets! Don’t Miss Out!
Sarah Marsh-Collings and Zeenat Noorani, 18 April 2024
Bromley Buzz 