Review: GREASE, Kilworth House Theatre

There's something inherently magical about outdoor theatre, especially when that theatre is in such beautiful surroundings as Kilworth House's. Watching Rydell High's disco ball throw tiny swirling lights across the theatre's tented roof as the cast hand-jive beneath it and night falls outside, it's easy to find yourself transported back to the 1950s.

Grease is always a reliable crowd-pleaser, with its story of an innocent summer romance turned sour when school begins. Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's up-tempo music mixes pop, rock 'n' roll and doo-wop styles to create a set of iconic songs first heard in the 1971 off-Broadway production and made famous by the 1978 movie, while their book gives us a cast of colourful characters in the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. 

Philip Witcomb's production design fully embraces the nostalgic vibes, with a set decked out in pop-art style images and featuring sliding bleachers and a gleaming Greased Lightening car. The costumes include enough poodle skirts and bobby socks to satisfy even the most ardent 1950s fan, and Jason Taylor's neon lighting is perfectly attuned to the venue and era. The choreography from director Ryan-Lee Seager is bouncy and fun, and a special mention goes to Chris Whybrow's flawless sound design, with not a single doo-wap lost to the night.

The young cast are full of energy and in good voice, with Michael Nelson's Danny striking the right balance between image-conscious gang leader and starry-eyed romantic, and the rest of the T-Birds providing plenty of humour. Lillia Squires gives her Sandy the traditional good-girl interpretation, though we don't get much sense of her character beyond that. The Pink Ladies provide great back-up with Beth Scott's Jan being particularly adorable and Millicent Blair capturing the mix of hardness and vulnerability required for Rizzo. Declan Egan also shines as a self-admiring Teen Angel who performs "Beauty School Dropout" with all the slickness you could hope for.

Fans of the stage show or the movie will find plenty to love here, though if you found the movie ending to be sexist then strap in for the stage version, which leans even further into the idea that Sandy has to change everything about herself to get Danny, while he has to do very little. The original book is crying out for a little updating here, and also for a little more cohesion in the somewhat erratic second act.

Dubious ending notwithstanding, Grease is a classic for a reason and this is a production that will have you smiling all the way through. A great way to spend your Summer Nights. 

Grease at Kilworth House Theatre until 7 September