Greased
Grease
Pembroke College Hall, 10 May – 12 May
For those of us whose sole experience of Grease armounts to the classic medley sung drunkenly along to in Park End, the 1971 musical follows the unravelling relationship between Sandy and Danny, placed within the explosive setting of an American high school. What with proms, cars, leather jackets and concrete quiffs, what more could be wanted in a fifties musical? Director Michael Berliner’s production sports an impressive thirty-strong cast, whose enthusiasm and vitality is contagious.
Strong vocals burst out from the opening moments, infecting the audience with a temptation to jump up and join in the fun. But fun, largely, is all that is offered. The production is unpretentious in its indulging display of overblown characters, unrealistic dialogue and contrived entrances into toe-tapping songs. Berliner’s direction proffers little more than the 1978 fi lm, with staging and characterisation mirroring almost exactly Kleiser’s original interpretation.
That said, the force and vigour enmeshed within collective performances require little else: originality is not what popular musical theatre is about. The big musical numbers largely work, only occasionally lapsing into that awkward school-play feel. The cast’s vocal talent violently surpasses their dance ability; repetitive moves and messy execution leave the bitter brand ‘amateur’ on the production as a whole.
The play is most successful in its playful, informal scenes - Greased Lighting perpetrates an energised ad hoc feel, with testosterone-fuelled dance breaks and loud, lively vocals. The endearing appeal of Summer Loving guarantees to extract a smile. Notice must be drawn to Grace Ang-Lygate’s emotive performance as Rizzo. Her vibrato-infused singing is a pleasure to the ears, and her soulful lament There Are Worst Things I Could Do draws tears from audience and actress alike.
Rachel Parris’s purity of voice renders her perfect as the initially innocent Sandy, while Sam Kaplan’s Travolta-esque Danny will impress with his powerful vocals, melting falsetto and pelvic thrusts. As with all great musical theatre, Grease moves us to leave the theatre singing. It utilises a triedand- tested formula that, luckily, works, infusing us with the strange but overwhelming desire to customise a car, learn to jive and don skin-tight leather trousers.
4th May 2006