REVIEW | Legally Blonde - Kristian Thomas Company

Legally BlondeKristian Thomas Company
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton

★★★★★

Ohmigod you guys the 2001 movie of Legally Blonde is 18 years old! Not only has it become a smash-hit film (that I have lost count of the number of times I've watched) but it's also become an international award-winning musical too. I've seen this performed twice - once back in 2017 by Loughborough's Christchurch Theatre Company and then last year with the most recent UK Tour production that starred Lucie Jones. 

This time around I headed to Long Eaton and the Duchess Theatre where local performance company Kristian Thomas Company were ready to fill the shoes. 

Legally Blonde follows the transformation of Malibu sorority girl Elle Woods (Emily Rose Redlaff) and she pursues Harvard Law to win back the love of her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Jacob Fowler). Elle Woods tackles many stereotypes, snobbery and scandal in the journey of her dreams but it's also about her discovering that having faith in yourself is far more important than having the faith from others. She also has the help of Paulette and Emmett too! Her transformation from debunking the classic bomb stereotype shows that having good looks don't always make an individual hollow or dumb. 

It's a fabulously fun musical that has all you need for an action-packed night at the theatre with memorable songs and dynamic dances. There are fantastic elements of humour in there too! 

This is the second production I have seen from this Derby-based company and boy do KTC know how to incorporate all of the elements to put on a fantastic show. Their casting choices are always spot on and they do their performances on such a smaller scale than you'd expect. The company have only been running for three years but they've managed to bring together professionals working and aspiring performers, high-quality performers who do this on the side of their full-time job all under one roof.  Their standard of professionalism is to be admired and it's one company I am really excited about whenever I see their shows! Legally Blonde was no different. 

Leading the cast as Elle Woods is Emily Rose Redlaff who manages to hold down faultless vocals and the characteristics of her character well. Elle is extremely energetic, witty and persistent and Emily embedded everything that her character was. Her wit wasn't lost in the crowd and her empowerment as a strong female was admirable. She really knew how to hold her own when performing the title Legally Blonde and showcased her incredible vocal repertoire. 

Alongside her as Emmett Forrest is Joe Millward. A fantastic performer who portrayed Emmett's charming and friendly characteristics well. He also has a fantastic vocal range that harmonises so well with Redlaff's in their duet numbers. 

I absolutely loved the performance from the trio of Elle's Delta Nu Sisters. Tammie Morgan, Betsymae Kirkland-Ball and Shannon O'Donnell are a fantastic trio of energetic and spectacular vocals. They expertly portrayed their admiration for Elle and gave off a fantastic vibe of girl power. 

Louise Grantham does an ace job as salon owner Paulette, making her performance enjoyable from start to finish. She had carefully crafted humour and she definitely knew how to play this character. 

The musical doesn't need a lot of scenery to be effective and this company have absolutely nailed it in their delivery with swift transitions between the quick-paced storyline flowing smoothly. With such a score full of slick and punch none of this is lost in the choreography during this production. The musical numbers packed bag fulls of energy, flair and punch from the first beat and there's a fantastic delivery in some fast-paced numbers. A stand out for me was most definitely Ohmigod You Guys and Gay or European which incorporated slick hand gestures that were in impeccable timing. Clearly, a lot of work had been taken in getting these right and boy didn't it deliver! 

Collectively the entire cast in this production is sublime and you definitely don't want it to end. 

Notably, this production feels fresh and definitely stood out from the other two performances I've seen for different reasons. The creative team have definitely kept the level of energy throughout the production and added their own personality to make it their own. There was some integration of modern and popular references that didn't disjoint the flow.

If you haven't seen it already - Legally Blonde is undoubtedly a musical that gives you feel good factor and you'll definitely leave the theatre with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. The thunderous applause from tonight's audience summed up what an incredible night at the theatre it is. If it's not already, it's one to add to your must watch list!

Legally Blonde is performing at The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 31st August. There is limited availability for tickets, head over to their online booking to book your ticket.