publication date: Dec 21, 2009
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author/source: Anne Coates
I must
confess – I am not a great fan of
musical theatre but I booked tickets for a preview of
Legally Blonde at the
Savoy Theatre in London as my daughter loves the
Legally Blonde films. Little did I know it but we were in for a
real treat!
Sheridan Smith, who was in the first film but I recognised her from
Love Soup and
Gavin & Stacey, plays Elle Woods who sets out to
impress her intellectual,
high-flying boyfriend Warner Huntington III (
Duncan James) by managing to get into
Harvard Law School. Sheridan is simply
fantastic and there seemed to be a
collective sigh in the audience each time Duncan, of boy band
Blue fame, stepped out onto the
stage. His character was nicely contrasted by
Alex Gaumond – Emmett Forrest the
graduate student who helps and falls in love with Elle.
In fact
all the cast are excellent from
Peter Davison – Professor Callahan – performing in his first musical to
Jill Halfpenny who has many
West End credits as well as acting in both
Eastenders and
Coronation Street – and boy does she have an
amazingly powerful singing voice!
The
whole production is vibrant and joyful with everyone in the
cast looking as though they are
enjoying every minute of it, including the
dogs who were
applauded at every entrance.
As I said I'm not particularly a fan of musicals –
Oiiver! and
Mama Mia being the exceptions – but for me
Legally Blonde is on a par with
Mama Mia! I would really
recommend this show as a truly
uplifting experience.
Legally Blonde is currently booking until
May 2010 – box office 0844 871 7687
Photo © Uli Weber
