Grease at The Redgrave Theatre in Bristol review

Posted on: 2017-08-19

Our rating:

This really was a very enjoyable show and now that this production company is on my radar - I will look forward to seeing what they come up with next. We should all applaud fantastic South West talent like this.


Everyone's favorite high school musical Grease burst onto the stage of the Redgrave Theatre in Bristol on Saturday (19th August) and the well known songs took us back to the late 70s when the hit movie first came out.

Grease at The Redgrave Theatre in Bristol

OOOH ARRR Productions were behind this performance and I was truly blown away by the talent of many of the young adults in this group; especially Francesca Carly (who played the part of Sandy) and Liam Green (who was Doody from the T Birds.) Francesca had an undeniable stage presence and it's clear that this young woman is going places; her voice was like silk and her acting skills were also of the highest calibre. Liam commanded your attention every time he was in view and his rendition of 'Those Magic Changes' was hilarious - he had one of those very expressionistic faces, which will stand him in good stead when it comes to being in the acting industry.

 

Grease is one of those films that has truly stood the test of time and has become a cult movie with a massive loyal following; so to take it on as a stage production is quite a tall order. Despite some sound issues, these guys pulled it off though and everyone who was in the audience clearly enjoyed the entertainment on offer.

 

Two other performers who stood out to me were Jake Lennox, who played the multiple parts of Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel/Sonny, and Martha Holly who was Rizzo. Jake had a certain star quality about him and Martha was a fantastic fit for her moody yet loveable role of a girl that doesn't hold her tongue. She really shone when she sang 'Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee' and 'There are worse things I could do.'

Grease at The Redgrave Theatre in Bristol

 

All of the other songs, including 'Grease is the word', 'Greased Lightnin', 'Mooning' and 'You're the one that I want', were all fantastic but it was 'Hopelessly devoted to you' that was the most outstanding. The whole crowd were in awe of how well this was delivered.

 

I certainly felt that we got our money's worth with this show as tickets were very affordable at just £10 (£7 for concessions) even though the show was over 2 hours long. (The reasonably priced sweets being served in the interval was a nice addition also!)

 

This really was a very enjoyable show and now that this production company is on my radar - I will look forward to seeing what they come up with next. We should all applaud fantastic South West talent like this.

 

Keep up to date with future OOOH ARRR Productions at www.oaprod.co.uk.

Grease at The Redgrave Theatre in Bristol



Article by:

Kelly Jobanputra

Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.