Grease - Bristol Review

Reviewed by Daniel

Grease the Musical follows Sandy and Danny, who fall in love over the summer but go their separate ways when school starts again. Unknown to Danny, Sandy ends up attending the same school as him. When they reconnect, Danny tries to act tough to impress his friends, shocking Sandy. The story revolves around whether they can get back together. In the performance I saw, Danny was played by Marley Fenton, while Phoebe Roberts stepped in as Sandy, who is usually portrayed by Hope Dawe.

Photo by Marc Brenner

This was my first time seeing Grease, and I thought it was a fantastic show. The songs were great, the choreography was amazing, and the costumes and sets all added to the experience. I laughed a few times throughout the show due to some funny moments or movements the characters did. The cast was full of energy and gave lively performances, with something always happening on stage. They used the full stage, including the very sides. I also really enjoyed the addition of the Vince Fontaine character, played by Joe Gash, who was positioned above the stage. Even though he wasn’t always the focus, having him there added to the atmosphere. It was fun to look up and see him, even when the attention wasn’t on him, he was often talking while set changes happened which I thought was a clever touch. While the set itself was big, it was relatively simple. 

Normally, I prefer more elaborate sets, but in this case, the large cast made up for it. The actors became part of the scenery in a way, with so much going on that it almost didn’t matter that the set was minimal. I enjoyed watching the different characters interact and do their own thing throughout the performance. The cast and characters all had great chemistry, and even though some characters were meaner than others, they still seemed to accept each other. 
The whole cast had fantastic voices, but Marley and Phoebe stood out the most and both had beautiful voices. Marley did a fantastic job showing Danny’s struggle with peer pressure, especially through his body language and facial expressions, which helped convey his regret, and you did feel for him, due to his friend group and the people he was surrounded by. Marley also portrayed his character as very cool, stylish, and smooth in the way he moved and acted. 

Marley is a great dancer and is on nearly every scene performing energetic elaborate dances while singing. Phoebe was brilliant in capturing both sides of Sandy—her innocent, sweet side, as well as her rebellious side. She also had some funny moments, and I loved the way she showed emotion when talking about Danny or interacting with the other characters. Phoebe was also great at portraying her more angry and upset side, as you could see it slowly build up inside her. I liked it when she stood up for herself. As for the costumes, I thought the boys’ jackets were badass, and I loved the shiny necklaces and jewellery they wore. The girls’ dresses were great, and I especially loved Sandy's outfits, including her pink bow shoes, the cool badass jacket and the shiny red shoes she wore at the end of the show. The boys’ school jackets matched well with the girl's cheerleader outfits. I also noticed some similarities between Sandy and Patty, as they both had big smiles, were cheerful throughout the show, and had similar but distinct characteristics. I found Danny and Vince were similar in how they moved and talked, as both characters had a smooth, cool vibe. I also picked up on a little flirting between Miss Lynch played by Dominique Planter and Vince.

Photo by Marc Brenner

Another great addition to the show was the use of sparks and smoke effects. They also had a scene in 3D, and if you brought old red and blue 3D glasses, you could watch it in 3D. Being a huge fan of 3D, this was a great addition to the show that not many people know about, making it more immersive and clever. Sadly, I forgot to bring my glasses, despite planning to. If the show promoted this aspect more, I feel like it would help boost sales.

When interviewing Hope Dawe (Sandy) and Dominique Planter (Miss Lynch), they gave me some acting advice. They told me to stay true to what I want to do and not be afraid to sing a song in my own way if that’s how I feel it should be done. They also said it’s good to have a backup plan, not just acting, and to find what makes you stand out—your unique selling point.

A few very small things I think Grease could have improved, the ending felt rather rushed and I feel like it could have done with being 5 to 10 minutes longer as it ended rather abruptly. I also found it hard to hear the dialogue, but I believe this was due to where I was sitting and the theatre playing the music much louder than the talking. I was also very close to a speaker. I also would have enjoyed a few more sets.

Some people take issue with the ending, but when Sandy says Danny needs to “shape up,” she means he has to make changes if he wants to keep her. I believe Sandy changes to help guide Danny toward better choices. She recognizes he’s still the same person she met on the beach. By embracing his style, she accepts him, but she stays true to herself by reminding him that he still needs to improve. I also think Danny will listen to her more. Danny did start to become nicer, but it’s due to the group he is surrounded by that makes him act the way he does.

Photo by Marc Brenner

Overall, Grease was a fantastic production, filled with great music, choreography, and performances. It was energetic and fun from start to finish, with lots of little details that made it an enjoyable experience. Fingers crossed for a cast recording or filmed version. Greaseis currently on its UK tour. I hope to see it again in the future, as Grease is an electrifying show