“Amateur” comes from Latin and means “For the love”, but in the English language it is also used to refer to someone who may be unqualified or insufficiently skillful. So maybe we need to think of a new name for Amateur Dramatics as, although the cast of the Tunbridge Wells Operatic and Dramatic Society’s (TWODS) current production of Legally Blonde the Musical are doing what they do “For the love” of it, they are more than qualified, and incredibly skillful.
From the moment that a chorus of 12 girls launch into the opening number, Omigod You Guys, right through to the full company reprise of the same song in the finale, the production is non-stop feast of superb vocals, wonderfully tight choreography, slick and seamless scene changes and showcases three dozen tremendously talented and devoted actors who should all be extremely proud of their show because, put simply, it is one of the most professional amateur shows that I have ever seen – and in the last 25 years I have seen a lot!
The storyline is lifted directly from the original movie so there is a huge degree of familiarity for those who have seen the film but, at the same time, it works as a stand alone piece of theatre for those who have not. It’s the classic “boy meets girl, dumps girl, girl becomes a successful lawyer and finds the real man of her dreams” story.
Jack Thrower, as Warner Huntingdon III, is the boy who meets and then dumps the girl and who, all too quickly, pairs up with Vivienne Kensington (Holly Sturmer), a thoroughly nasty piece of work who is very easy to dislike – until one of the final scenes. Luckily, Emmett Forrest (Tom Tapsfield) is on hand to take care of our broken-hearted heroine and provide her with emotional support, and a friendly face, when she needs it most.
Another “shoulder to cry on” comes from local hairdresser, Paulette Bonafonte, played by the scene stealing tour de force that is Cheryl Storer. With a very authentic Boston accent (I know, I lived there), a truly vile ex-husband (I’ll come back to him later) and a passion for the delivery guy, Kyle O’Boyle (Gary Russell), she is a dream character, played by a superb actress.
The rest of this talented company (sadly too many to name them all) support the leads in every way that they can, giving all that they have to the production and, from the smiles on their not-remotely-nervous-even-though-it’s-opening-night faces, obviously getting back from the very enthusiastic audience, just as much as they are giving.
Special mention also goes to the huge team of stagehands who manage, in just a few seconds, to create a courtroom, prison, park, classroom, bedroom, restaurant and a bathroom by quickly and quietly shifting mountains of scenery around and also to David Hynes who is just as happy playing a Harvard admissions officer as he is playing a murder suspect hiding his homosexuality and as he is displaying his buttocks, adorned by a very genuine love heart tattoo, as the vile ex-husband, Dewey, mentioned earlier. Congratulations also go to Daisy and Bodie, pictured below, for not allowing any first night nerves to affect their on stage time.
The thirteen piece orchestra give a full rich sound to accompany the, to be honest, largely forgettable musical numbers (Although I’m not sure why Legally Blonde, Serious and So Much Better were not huge hits), creating just another superb facet to this seriously impressive production.
Now to the star of the show, Becky Histed. Her performance as Elle Woods is quite simply breathtaking. She is every inch a match for Reece Witherspoon’s performance in the movie and, if anything, looks even better in a bunny costume! Her vocals are full of emotion and her likeability factor is just off the scale. She had the audience in the palm of her hand throughout the show and has a great acting future ahead of her.
As a tale of female empowerment and an example of against the odds success, Legally Blonde the Musical is top of the league and in, the hands of Director and Choreographer David Street, the TWODS production is firmly up there as well.
**** Four Stars