Legally Blonde: The Musical at The Little Theatre Leicester

Legally Blonde: The Musical produced by the Leicester Operatic Players at the Little Theatre in Leicester is a feel good show that will have you humming away at the catchy tunes long after the curtain falls.

The musical (adapted from the novel by Amanda Brown and the film of the same name) tells the story of Elle Woods (Emily Haywood), a sorority girl who applies to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (Ben Cusack). Despite successfully enrolling in the school, Elle frequently comes up against people who see her pink clothes and blonde hair and immediately judge her as being unworthy of being there.

Particularly against her is Warners new girlfriend Vivienne (Natasha Ann Carr) who gets Elle kicked out of class on the first day.

Spurred on to prove others wrong, Elle knuckles down to work with the help of the kindly teaching assistant Emmett (Simon Collington) with whom she forges a strong friendship and beautician Paulette (Alice Oakley) who becomes the go-to person for good advice. Also cheering Elle on is her own imaginary Greek Chorus made up of her sorority friends: Margot (Charlotte Brown), Serena (Rachel Wheeler), and Pilar (Niall Johnson).

With hard work and determination, Elle eventually makes a positive impression on Professor Callahan (Martin Green). When the opportunity to take on a real case arises, will Elle rise to the challenge or prove her detractors right?

Haywood is a strong lead for the show. Her vocals are superb in both the quiet emotive moments and in the more powerful belter songs. Haywood brings great expression to her acting, adding a depth to the character which could easily have been lost amongst all the pink and high energy.

Collington’s Emmett is an excellent complement to Haywood’s Elle. The two clearly have great chemistry, which is at its best in ‘Take It Like a Man’ where Elle treats Emmett to a makeover. Their voices pair wonderfully in the duet ‘Chip On My Shoulder’ and the emotion both put into ‘Legally Blonde’ is amazing to watch and listen to.

Oakley brings great humour to her role of Paulette. Her ability to pair the comedy elements of the role with strong vocals is showcased in ‘Ireland’. Her relationship with Elle is very believable and it seems like the pair have fun performing together. And, of course, her infatuation with sexy UPS driver Kyle (Nick Wilkins) is the source of much laughter.

The supporting cast are also very strong. Green has a silky smooth and deep voice that is perfect for the role of Callahan, especially coupled with his strong stage presence and aurour of authority. Rosie Chalmers’ skip-rope dancing as fitness-instructor-turned-murder-suspect is extremely impressive, especially given the strength of singing at the same time!

Ellie Newbrooks’ choreography is a delight, with the ensemble numbers such as ‘Bend and Snap’ and ‘Gay or European?’ being particular joys.

Jo Walkden’s costume designs are vibrant and I’m still trying to figure out how Haywood’s Elle has such a quick costume change near the start!

There are a few technical hiccups with set, sound and projection throughout, but this is to be expected on the opening night of such a complicated production and they did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the show.

Overall, Jeremy Holt’s direction results in a well-paced upbeat and feel-good musical. It is definitely worth visiting the Little Theatre this week to watch. There are two super cute dogs in the show as well, if you need any more convincing to go!