Review: Legally Blonde

The sugar-coated plot of this modern day fairytale is predictable, it has no hit tunes and the show originally flopped on Broadway, but Legally Blonde has won awards, plays to packed houses and even has its own pink attired, blonde wigged cult following. The secret of its success – its an evening full of pure, frothy, fun.

The plot of this slick romantic comedy, centres around Elle Woods, a bubbly, ditzy blonde who is dumped by her boyfriend, for a more “serious girlfriend” when he goes to Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, Ellie decides to follow him and gets into Harvard by doing a cheer leading routine. After being mocked by her classmates, and with a little help along the way from new found friends Paulette, Emmett and her Chihuahua called Bruiser, she eventually becomes a court room star.

The opening of Legally Blonde is not one of the best with some rather screeching vocals that make it hard to get the gist of the story, but once the show gets moving it just gets better and better sprinting along at an energetic pace. One of the strengths of the show lies in its choreography and the skill of the performers. The fast and furious skipping rope sequence that opens Act 2 and the mock Riverdance routine are pure choreographic gold.

As Elle Woods, Faye Brooks is full of vitality with a strong singing voice and great comedy timing while a superb characterization as Professor Callahan, the sardonic legal eagle comes from Les Dennis.

With a strong supporting cast, including two canines, who don’t put a paw wrong, Legally Blonde is a high energy show that’s pure escapism

To July 14.