Grease Archives - North West End UK

10Oct

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

Grease – Palace Theatre

Sometimes when a reviewer goes to see a show, no matter what the content, the audience will so completely overwhelm the performance that there is very little one can say in review. Such is the case with “Grease” which continues a national tour at The Palace. The audience are so loyal to the show, they will it along every moment of the performance. I have to say that I would have preferred to hear the paid cast singing some of the songs rather than the “Levenshulme Ladies Choir” across the aisle from me, but hey, we know the tunes anyway. Despite a book as thin as a cigarette paper, Director Nikolai Foster drives the show along like greased lightening and genuinely lights up the stage with the musical numbers. To add to the “A” list production team the choreography by Arlene Phill...

10Oct

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Grease – Pendle Hippodrome

School’s out and Grease is most definitely the word as Basics Junior Theatre School take us back to 1959 and Rydell High School. Pendle Hippodrome welcomes the hit musical Grease, centring around the romance between Danny and Sandy for one week only. Packed with iconic numbers and performed by the youthful exuberance of this talented cast, it is the perfect recipe for a great night out. Everything about this production was of professional standard from the lighting, to set design and the music to the authentic costumes. Bravo to the entire production team. However, what really elevated this production was the wonderful choreography from Lydia Cooke and Helen Cheung. The standout dances for ‘Greased Lightening’ and ‘Born to Hand Jive’, particularly, showcased the abilities of the cast. U...

1Aug

By Phoebe Olivia Sian HobsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Alhambra, Bradford

Grease is most definitely the word on everyone’s lips after attending last nights show at the Alhambra, as it’s fair to say the withdrawals from the thrill and excitement have well and truly kicked in. There are always high expectations for beloved productions such as Grease, and the performance by the cast and crew exceeded all of them, inviting in younger audiences by bringing fresh new ideas but also reminding those maturer fans of their favourite scenes and songs. The show was impressively enticing, horny and funny with the entertaining representations of the burger bar boys and the pink ladies, the cast hit the nail on the head while capturing these characters, whether it was on their best or worst behaviour the teen groups had the audience in stitches. The show invites you in l...

28Jun

By Melissa JonesNo Comments

Scotland

Grease – Edinburgh Playhouse

Think you know Grease? Think again. This production takes Rydell High back to its gritty roots and it’s never been so refreshing. Forget your memories of Travolta and Newton-John politely bopping away in pastel pinks, Nikolai Foster’s Grease’s origins appear firmly rooted in the sardonic gritty teenage drama that Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey originally wrote. Here, the teenage hormones flow quicker than burger sauce, the cuss words come thick and fast and hand-jiving is a very serious business, indeed. Now sitting somewhere between a homage to Americana and a raw Westside Story, Douglas O’Connell's set design includes all key components of the era, reveling in Americana. One can’t help but feel a little High School Musical creep into the giant Rydell High with the bright red tracksuit...

11May

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Sheffield City Hall

This show just ‘gels’ as only ‘Grease’ can do! It’s electrifying! Manor Operatic Society hit the Sheffield City Hall with the musical ‘Grease’ to packed audiences and with all the frenzy the original 1978 film created. With an audience full of Pink Ladies and T Birds, I anticipated a night of raucous sing-a-long, but on the whole the audience were too invested by the performances they were witnessing to join in, until invited to on the Grease Mega Mix. Only then were the whole audience on its feet raising the roof and loving every moment. Directed by Richard Bradford and his partner Linda Kelly who also choreographs the production with help from their daughter Evie May Bradford as dance Captain – it really is a family affair! Musical Direction from Andrew Collis completes the team an...

19May

By Robert BartleyNo Comments

London

Grease – Dominion Theatre

‘Grease’ is one of those shows that everyone knows, even people who don’t like musicals. Who among us hasn’t performed one half of the legendary megamix (badly) at a wedding or Christmas party? Steeped in kitsch 1950s nostalgia, the original “high school musical" premiered on stage in 1971 before being immortalised on film with the world’s tightest trousers in 1978, cementing the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Now, 15 years after it was last seen in London, the show is back in town. Reimagined by Nikolai Foster (Curve’s resident Artistic Director), and featuring choreography by Arlene Phillips, ‘Grease’ has moved into the Dominion Theatre for a summer run on the back of a successful UK tour. But with such a well-known and often-visited show, ...

1Dec

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Leeds Grand Theatre

It’s great that this production carries on the classic movie’s proud tradition of having twentysomethings playing teenagers about to leave Rydell High School for the real world. It’s a bit odd the thick American accents the relatively inexperienced cast deploy seem to be from Brooklyn rather than the tough working-class area of Chicago the original theatre production was set in. The voice coach should have dialled it down a bit which would have helped with the sometimes wayward diction. It’s probably fair to say most of the audience were looking for a scene by scene recreation of the beloved movie, and to that extent they do get well staged versions of all songs they had grown up loving. But the producers claim to have retained the darker elements of the rawer early 1970s scrip...

New Production of GREASE to open at the Dominion Theatre in May 2022

18Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

New Production of GREASE to open at the Dominion Theatre in May 2022

Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE will return to the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End, with new staging and choreography, opening on Tuesday 10th May 2022, with previews from Tuesday 3rd May 2022. GREASE is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips. Casting is to be announced. Colin Ingram, lead producer said: “This is the first new production of Grease in the West End for 29 years, so we are excited to be bringing this grittier version to the Dominion Theatre. All the familiar songs from the film are included, plus some of the songs and script from the very first production which will be new to audiences. Directed by the brilliant Nikolai Foster and choreographed by the legendary Arlene Phillips, they have done an incredible job of reim...

Peter Andre talks about being Teen Angel at Leeds Grand Theatre

31Oct

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Peter Andre talks about being Teen Angel at Leeds Grand Theatre

Once upon a time amiable Aussie Peter Andre was best known for his rippling six pack and being married to a controversial model. Since then, high profile appearances on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! And Strictly Come Dancing showed Peter to be a genuinely nice guy winning him many new fans. Peter is now turning his hand to musical theatre and is back on the road in Grease, which is back at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 29th November. You played Teen Angel on the 2019 Grease tour and now you’re also doing double duty as Vince Fontaine. What are the logistics of playing dual roles? I may even be doing a third role, namely a police officer, depending on whether or not I can get changed on time. The more characters the better for me. Each one of them has a different accent, so...

7Oct

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Grease – Sheffield Lyceum

Directed by the renowned Nickolai Foster and Choreography by the legendary Arlene Phillips, Grease hits the Sheffield stage with all the frenzy the original 1978 film created. With an audience full of Pink Ladies and T Birds, I anticipated a night of raucous sing-a-long, but on the whole the audience were too riveted by the performances they were witnessing to join in, until invited to on the Grease Mega Mix. Only then was the whole audience on its feet raising the roof and loving every moment. As the band struck up, conducted by Rickey Long the oh so familiar songs soared and so did my expectation as I realised we weren’t in for the sweet version of the film, the energy from the cast was electric from the very start, edgy, with a hint of modernity, a lifetime away from the sickly image...