Sassy, snappy songs

Based on the 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde has just made the transition from the West End to tour, and is seeing similar success.

Elle Woods gets dumped by stuck-up boyfriend Warner, who is after a ‘serious girl’ now he’s about to start at Harvard Law School. So Elle does what are self-respecting sorority girl does, fights for her man, and follows him.

Legally Blonde does not pretend to be high-brow. It’s fun, indulgent, and pure entertainment.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t expect much from it. The songs have the making of classics and it doesn’t fall down the trap that some musicals do, being largely made up of reprise after reprise.

It’s fresh, funky, and will introduce a whole new audience to musical theatre.

As Elle and her Deltu Nu friends would say, snaps to that.

The performances were all excellent. Faye Woods’ understudy, Amy Ross, was sassy and snappy as the protagonist. Had they not announced she was the understudy, I would have thought the part had been hers for months. Her voice was fantastic and her every move was spot on.

‘Star name’ Ray Quinn, as Warner, came a close second in the male ranks to Iwan Lewis’ sweet, bumbling Emmett and Les Dennis was the perfect villain in Professor Callahan.

But it was former X Factor contestant Niki Evans who really shone as hippy hairdresser Paulette

More used to seeing her in the serious, power balled-esque roles, like Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, it was great to see another side to this versatile performer.

If you want a night at the theatre that will really take you away from the drudgery of everyday life, go and see Legally Blonde. You won’t be disappointed.

Legally Blonde is at Bradford Alhambra from July 3-14.

LINDSAY PANTRY