Review | DREAMBOATS AND MINISKIRTS (UK Tour) October 2014

Following on from where Petticoats left off, the Dreamboats are back and their girls in miniskirts! Whatever happened to Bobby and Laura? It's now 1963, and the world is changing. Bobby and Laura's single "Dreamboats and Petticoats" has not taken off. Norman and Sue have settled down to non-marital bliss - and a baby! But Ray and Donna seem blissfully happy...

It's often that the sequel is never as good ... Grease 2 ... but here it's quite the opposite. Whereas Dreamboats and Petticoats seems to drag after an hour, here we have something altogether more interesting. The rise of Bobby's band The Conquests against the success of The Beatles and Laura's solo career makes for a plot that twists and turns patting the way for plenty of 60s hits - many of which make up the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing. Nobody comes to these musicals for a gritty storyline which probably takes a backseat - what shines though above all is a fantastic cast and the finest actor musicianship.

Charlotte Peak and Chloe Edwards-Peak on saxophone are excellent and compliment the band of boys who impress with hits such as Do You Love Me and Venus In Blue Jeans. David Luke belts out some impressive vocals as Ray whilst Louise Olley who reprises her role as Sue is in great voice, particularly with classic Be My Baby. Alex Beaumont is charming as Bobby and Elizabeth Carter shines as Laura - her rendition of You Don't Own Me is a highlight. Commanding bad boy Norman (Ross William Wild) steals the show. Wild's presence is incredibly infectious and it's all eyes on him as he rocks through Oh Pretty Woman and Hippy Hippy Shake. 

Corners are cut however... it's the same set as Dreamboats and Petticoats but without the dodgems. The ping pong table also makes a return but gladly they don't play it whilst there's dialogue, which was distracting in the predecessor. The poster artwork also remains pretty much the same as Petticoats, but Miniskirts does take you on a whole new adventure. Little visual effort has been made to differentiate this from Petticoats which is clearly a safety measure to assure the audience - you know what you're getting. The whole thing is slicker, faster paced and a maturer storyline makes for a less fluffy, more energetic and exciting production that truly gets you into the spirit of the sixties.

At Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre until 18th October. Book here. 

Cast List: Alex Beaumont, Ross William Wild, Elizabeth Carter, Louise Olley, David Luke, Anna Campkin, Alan Howell, Will Tierney, Michael Kantola, Sheridan Lloyd, Chris Coxon, Damien Walsh, Josef Pitura-Riley, Josh Tye, Charlotte Peak, Chloe Edwards-Wood

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Dreamboats And Petticoats Review

GREASE (UK Tour) Review November 2012

Nearing the end of a long UK tour, for one week only Grease takes you back to the summer of 1955 at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

It's been at least ten years since I last saw the show, and with the film released in 1978 the story and the show has had a long time to become dated. This latest production, fresh the West End gives the show a new look and is busting with energy. Proving to be suitable for any age there was girl who must have been only 5 sat behind us singing along to every word. 

Danny Zuko, the leader of the T Birds is played by Itv's Grease Is The Word winner Danny Bayne. Proving just why he was the winner, he is the perfect Danny, a great voice, slick moves, but a very cheesy Elvis laugh! 

Making up the rest of the gang is Richard Vincent as Doody whose songs Those Magic Changes and Rock And Roll Party Queen are effortlessly some of the highlights of the show. David O'Reilly is charming as Roger and has a laugh like a Lion King hyena. There was a stand-out performance from Ross William Wild as Kenickie, his Greased Lightning was perhaps the strongest vocal performance packed with riffs and screams showcasing the strong rock singer that he is. Also, Darren John as Eugene is a perfect scene-stealer and had the audience's "awwwww's" and sympathy throughout.

The girls are led by Carina Gillespie as Sandy. Beautiful in every sense of the word, her performance was a delight and Hopelessly Devoted To You received rapturous applause. Kate Somerset How as Rizzo received equal applause for her rendition of There Are Worse Things I Could Do. Stand-out performances include Laura Wilson in her very cute portrayal of Jan and Emily Hawgood as Cha-Cha.  

This production features the most lighting I've ever seen installed at the Grand, and the set by Terry Parsons is delightful and moves about the stage with ease and scene transitions are smooth. 

Grease really does bring the magic of the West End to your hometown in a production that suffers no cut-backs and oozes energy. This production breathes new life into the old and well-known story. The ensemble are some of the most enthusiastic you will ever see and a ticket to Grease will definitely be worth the money you paid. The feel-good tour of 2012!

Ross William Wild (Kenickie)

Tickets for the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre can be booked here: http://grandtheatre.info/WhatsOn_focus.asp?ShowId=628&sC=page10

Grease Website: http://www.greasethemusical.co.uk