LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL | UK TOUR @ EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
★★★
“When it’s good it’s great, when it’s poor, it’s painful…”
Oh my God, you guys! This production may not be the best Legally Blonde to have toured to Edinburgh in recent years, it’s certainly the least subtle, but with a packed Playhouse positively buzzing ahead of press night, it’s one that shows the inexplicable phenomenon that is Elle Woods’ tale of self-discovery continues unabated.
Despite the audience’s roars of approval, however, this touring production is an uneven one. When it’s good it’s great, when it’s poor, it’s painful. Noisy, ballsy and brassy it lacks the charm of its predecessors, choosing instead to power its way through the action with little nuance.
Based on the 2001 movie of the same name, Legally Blonde is the story of Elle, a Delta Nu sorority girl with a love for the colour pink. Dumped by her boyfriend, Warner, as he heads off to study at Harvard Law School, she decides to do the same, determined to prove she is no stereotypical airhead and that not only do blondes have more fun, they have brains too.
It’s an archetypal under-dog tale and one musical theatre audiences have taken to their hearts since it premiered at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre in 2007.
Directed at an unstoppable rate of knots, the piece is almost sung through in parts, director Nikolai Foster ensures the time flies by but in the haste, deliveries are often shrill as vocals battle a boisterous seven-piece band.
Thankfully, the show’s most popular numbers save the day: Karen Mavundukure raises laughs with a powerful and very funny rendition of Ireland; Bend and Snap remains a big crowd pleaser; while the dubious There! Right There!, also known as Gay or European?, really shouldn’t work but does and once again elicits roars of approval. That said, Leah Hill’s choreography is well drilled but disappointing in places; the ‘Riverdance’ disappoints and the ‘Bend’ is definitely lacking an effective ‘Snap’.
If Amber Davies takes a song or two to warm to, she has some nice comic timing and shares a relaxed onstage chemistry with George Crawford as Emmett. A strong performance grounded in truth from Crawford, it compliments Davies’ larger than life Elle.
Elsewhere, casting is uneven with some ridiculously OTT turns alongside well crafted performances from Annabelle Terry as Vivienne, and Adam Cooper as Callahan. Likewise, with arguably the strongest vocals in the show, Mavundukure also proves strong support as Paulette and is well paired with Ty-Reece Stewart as the iconic Kyle, the UPS delivery guy.
Colin Richmond’s stripped-back touring set is functional but feels empty and relies on Ben Cracknell’s crafty lighting to bring a vibrant aesthetic to proceedings.
All that said, Legally Blonde remains a fun night out for all the family and is guaranteed to leave you in the pink.
Full details and tickets HERE
