Legally Blonde at the Princess Theatre Torquay Review
Legally Blonde
Princess Theatre, Torquay
23-27 June 2015
Reviewed by Helen Wyatt
We were lucky enough to visit the Princess Theatre in Torquay to see the amateur production by Toads Stage Musical Company of the musical Legally Blonde. The theatre is near the sea front, and therefore there is plenty of on street parking available; alternatively there are some fairly local car parks within walking distance of the theatre.
The Princess Theatre is a modern building near the sea front, with lovely views over the bay. It is all well-kept and nicely decorated. I saw no evidence of rubbish or dirty areas in the theatre, or in the restaurant. The toilets were clean but very small!
When we arrived at the theatre there was a buzz of activity; the light open areas make you feel welcome, and looking forward to watching the show. All staff we encountered were polite and helpful.
Legally Blonde is a musical adaptation of the 2001 film (which was originally a novel by Amanda Brown). It is the story of a young, rich L.A girl, Elle Woods, who decides to go to Harvard to pursue the love of her life, Warner, but finds that she can achieve her true potential and it’s not all about Warner.
This adaptation started life on Broadway, then the West End, before being offered to some amateur groups, such as TOADS SMC, to perform in local theatres by invite only.
This was a full on American blast, with singing and dancing right from the start. It was extremely high energy and was fairly faithful to the plot of the film, using a fair portion of the same script at times.
Unfortunately not all of the cast were of the same ability; this can certainly be expected of amateur theatre, and also you’re not going to have the ensemble/group cast members in the same leagues as the lead actors, however some of the lead cast appeared to have been inappropriately placed into the roles they held. They were not strong enough, not good actors, and had poor singing voices.
That said, a large number of the cast were stand-out stars! Stacey Hedge (playing Elle) was a notable example, with a great voice, almost spot on accent, and fantastic moves. Jo Button (playing Paulette) was a brilliant comedy character, with excellent timing and a super star voice which should not be hidden away in amateur theatre…
Aaron Kitts (playing Emmett) warmed up to the role more in the second act, when he started to show off his voice and acting skills to great effect.
There were some rather odd moments in the show that did leave us baffled, such as the appearance of “Grandmaster Chad” dressed in strange Rasta clothing and doing some sort of odd rap which was completely out of time with the orchestra, but otherwise this was a great (pink!) fun filled show from beginning to end; just a shame about some of casting which detracted from the clear abilities of others.
I should comment that the website for the theatre mentions that this show is “suitable for the entire family” – this is most definitely not true! I would suggest the show is suitable for minimum age 12 due to the sexual references throughout.
Overall, I enjoyed the show and had lots of laughs and I would recommend the show.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost £20.90 (plus £4 transaction fee).
Legally Blonde is at the Princess Theatre in Torquay until 27 June 2015. For more information or o book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 3023.
Princess Theatre, Torbay Road, Torquay, TQ2 5EZ | 0844 871 3023
