Grease The Musical – Liverpool Empire

Grease The Musical has lightening bolted onto the stage of Liverpool’s Empire Theatre this week for some summer loving… much different to its movie counterpart it still promises a night choreographed to perfection and vocals worthy of mesmeric status.

If you’re an avid fan of Grease the movie, you will notice the flow of the musical misses out some of the story but gives you alternative which supports the added musical numbers and characters which are highlighted more during the stage adaption. 

We are introduced into Rydell High by Vince Fontaine, who we quickly warm to as our host and almost like the page turner from scene to scene, flowing the set changes with comedic charm and presence. In act one it seemed to be a warmup for the main debut in act two where we as the audience are practically in the palm of his hand during his second role of teen angel during beauty school dropout… Joe Gash is a real showman, and the audience don’t hesitate to lap it up. 

Strong opening number with Grease is the word the company certainly are mighty as a collective. The cast of the current UK and Ireland tour hold an extensive list of theatre and tv credits that helps you understand the type of experience and passion this show has to offer. 

The immediate realisation for me was how the cast was brilliantly chosen and assigned to the respective roles… it’s far too easy to base a character off being a “lookalike” however having to determine some of the characters by portrayal which at times was so brilliantly done it was like the actors had truly embodied the attitude and what it was to be that character. Rebecca Stenhouse playing Rizzo and Sario Solomon playing Sonny are just two examples of this. Stenhouse deserved her applause during There are worse things I could do as we see the peak of emotion, a real powerful rendition. I believed every ounce of emotion. The relationship between Stenhouse and her onstage partner Kenickie played by George Michaelides was also worth commending, I often found my eyes wandering during ensemble scenes and being completely drawn in by the pair together. 

My only slight critic would be, there were moments of silence where it felt maybe due to sound or lighting cue issues or missing dialogue; it didn’t affect the performance however it happened on a few occasions where it didn’t seem necessary to have pauses and the flow was somewhat halted momentarily. Having said this, all the stops where clearly pulled out to provide the sound and lighting to the performance, immersing you into the scene with background music by means of radio which did not distract but complimented the scene perfectly. 

A solid addition to your week if you are planning to join the pink ladies and burger palace boys for something truly electrifyin’… a family show with some innuendos which would go over the heads of the younger generation yet provide laughs for those old enough to appreciate. 

Reviewer: Manda Elizabeth

Reviewed: 28th May 2024

North West End UK Rating: