Marianna Neofitou Archives - North West End UK

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...

Grease the Musical – Festival Theatre Edinburgh

This production can be viewed two ways; a successful adaptation combining the best of the original, visceral, 1971 Chicago show and the candyfloss of the 1978 film… or something that falls between the two stools of these contrasting affairs. Undeniably it was lively, but frenetic rather than kinetic. The constant movement made for a spectacle but parts of the script, including many of the caustic, witty, one-liners, were lost in the hustle and bustle, denying the audience a glimpse of the themes so vital when Grease first made its impact. The screen greeting the audience prior to the start promised much, decorated with small black & white TV’s, transistor radios, the most modern of things back in the 50’s, both devices carrying – amidst Elvis and Westerns - the advertising that propell...

Grease – Regent Theatre

It maybe rapidly approaching Autumn but there are still a few Summer Nights to be had at The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent this week. Directed by Nikolai Foster, Artistic Director for Curve, the musical classic ‘Grease’ and its infamous score are totally prepared to entertain audiences on stage with an all-new cast. For those very few individuals who may not have experienced Grease previously, it is essentially a 50’s High School love story, starring the leather clad, cool dude 'Danny Zuko' (Dan Partridge) and the innocent, girl next door, 'Sandy Dumbrowski' (Georgia Louise). They reunite in their final year at Rydell High. It may be a love story on the surface, but it is also very much a story about teenage friendships, peer pressure, sexual relationships and personal challenges. Pa...