Any production of Grease has a lot to live up to. Just about everyone's seen the film, and it’s become the definitive version. However, while the current stage show at the Hippodrome may lack the iconic, cute, antipodean voice of Olivia Newton John and the gyrating hips of John Travolta, it still has a lot to recommend itself.

The plot does differ from the movie, but the main highlights are still there..... the girls singing in the bedroom, Danny chasing Sandy and the all-important transformation of Sandy at the end. There are also some charming additions: the stage show, unlike the film, allows some of the minor cast members to showcase their voices, and that's a real winner.

The set at times is basic. The Greased Lightening car looks like a prop from a school play... a cardboard car covered in silver foil! However, in certain scenes the band is visible on stage and this works really well. The curtains open to show the musicians raised up high on the stage, sporting pink jackets and coercing the crowds (without much resistance) to clap along to the music. It's slightly cheesy but immediately creates the tone for the evening and forces even the most uptight to get in the swing of things. 

Once the band gets the audience going, we get our first glimpse of Danny and Sandy. Both have undeniably good voices, but on first impressions it’s hard to imagine these two are teenagers in love. Hayley Evetts as Sandy is just too sexy and struggles to look young and innocent. It isn’t helped by her costume which, rather than disguise her curves, seems to accentuate her ample bosom! Meanwhile Paul Manuel as Danny simply looks a bit too old.

However, as the show goes on the pair certainly win the crowd over: Evetts with her voice and Manuel with his acting. Of all cast members, Manuel’s accent is the most consistent and authentic. He plays the part of Danny with a cheeky humour- a cross between Travolta's Danny and the Fonz from Happy Days!

Other cast members who catch the eye are Gavin Lees, playing Doody, the youngest of the T birds. He gives a great rendition of Those Magic Changes, managing to avoid the towel clad men prancing around him. The audience falls for him with his disarming smile and stutter.

The quirky, almost irritating Jan, as portrayed by Michelle Bishop, shows off her voice in a duet with Hayley Evetts, and Deborah Hayward gives a strong performance as the brazen, sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies, Rizzo.

The geek Eugene, expertly played by Jamie Tyler, also adds a comic twist. The audience love his physically awkward character with weak eyes and high pitched voice. His glasses and centre parting make the T birds seem even more ‘cool’ with their leather jackets and huge quiffs.   

If you go to this show hoping to see a carbon copy of the film classic then you will be disappointed. But don’t be hasty. This stage show is good. The vocal performances are strong and the choreography energetic. I defy any audience member to make it through the night without tapping their feet to the beat! So if you want a fun-filled night, singing along to classic songs, then Grease at the Hippodrome could be the night for you.

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