Legally Blonde at The Theatre Royal, Nottingham.
I have a confession to make dear reader – I arrive at the Theatre Royal this evening armed with only limited knowledge of Legally Blonde: I have somehow managed to miss (or should that read avoid?) both the original stage production and the cultural phenomenon that is the Reese Witherspoon film. My research tells me that the show is based on Amanda Brown’s 2001 novel of the same name. I also know that this touring production has excellent pedigree in that it hails from Leicester Curve and is directed by local legend Nikolai Foster. The plot follows the seemingly shallow Elle Woods as she chases her ex-boyfriend Warner to Harvard Law School, only to discover she is considerably smarter, tougher and more capable than anyone expects.
At the centre of the action is Amber Davies as Elle, giving a performance so charismatic that the entire auditorium seems to lean towards her whenever she appears. She nails the comic timing, delivers the vocals with effortless ease, and somehow makes Elle’s relentless optimism feel genuinely moving rather than exhausting. There is steel beneath the sequins, and Davies lets us see it emerge gradually, which makes the character’s transformation all the more satisfying.
George Crawford brings enormous charm to Emmett, playing him not as a bland romantic lead but as an awkwardly lovable underdog with real emotional intelligence. The romantic chemistry with Elle develops organically, avoiding the usual musical theatre trope of “we sang a duet together, therefore we’re in love now.”
As Paulette, Karen Mavundukure practically steals the show. Every line lands perfectly. Every facial reaction gets a laugh. Her comic instincts are razor sharp, but she also gives Paulette genuine vulnerability beneath the flamboyant exterior. Her interactions with hunky love interest Kyle (Ty-Reece Stewart) are a joy to behold.
Adam Cooper makes Professor Callahan suitably slick and predatory, all polished authority and sleazy menace. Jamie Chatterton is wonderfully lacking in self-awareness as Warner, while Annabelle Terry gives Vivienne a satisfying emotional depth that lifts her beyond the “ice queen” stereotype. I particularly enjoy Jocasta Almgill as Brooke Wyndham, who opens Act Two singing, dancing and skipping with enough cardio intensity to qualify it as an Olympic event.
The choreography by Leah Hill is relentlessly energetic, with the ensemble attacking every number like their lives depend on it. The show never pauses for breath; it cartwheels enthusiastically from one absurdly catchy song to another. At times the plot is gloriously ridiculous, but the production knows exactly what it is and commits fully to the story. The Greek Chorus (Pilar, Serena and Margot – AKA Rosanna Harris, Remi Ferdinand and Hannah Lowther), part cheer squad, part inner monologue, ensure the show bounces along with fizz and energy. And there are dogs. Real live dogs. Beautiful dogs. Bruiser the chihuahua is performed effortlessly by Sprout and Rufus the Bulldog by Milo. These two are the talk of the town by the interval, relentlessly stealing every scene they are in.
What could easily become a sugar-rush parody instead lands as an unexpectedly sharp, warm-hearted musical about self-worth, ambition and refusing to let other people write your story for you. The production bursts with colour and confidence. The thing that stays with me most, though, is the sheer generosity of spirit. Beneath the glitter and gloriously over-the-top choreography is a musical that quietly champions kindness, resilience and the power of surprising people – including yourself. I arrived expecting little more than frothy escapism and leave with the sudden conviction that I could conquer anything if I had the right accompanying attitude. This production knows exactly what it is: clever, camp, heartfelt fun, performed with enormous talent and total conviction. I’m completely won over. I LOVE it.
