Legally Blonde – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Review
by Fran Winston

LEGALLY BLONDE – Produced by ROYO
Bord Gais Energy Theatre 7-18 July = Tickets from €29.80

This show’s Irish run is pretty timely given that the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle landed on Prime Video on July 1, bringing the pink-clad legal eagle back into the spotlight – not that she ever left it. It is a quarter of a century since Reese Witherspoon brought Elle Woods to life on the big screen, and the movie remains an immensely quotable pop culture favourite.

Although based on the movie, this version of the musical also brings the story into the modern day – after all, a lot has happened in 25 years. Hence, the characters have mobile phones and make contemporary references to shows and people who weren’t relevant back in 2001.

Looking at the audience on the night I attended, they understood the assignment. A huge number of people, including myself, wore Elle’s signature colour, which is pink, in case you didn’t know.

Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing star Amber Davis takes on the role of Elle and, although it might seem impossible, this incarnation is even pinker and perkier than the movie version. I rewatched the movie to confirm I wasn’t imagining this, and Elle does indeed have a broader colour palette in the film.

If you are a superfan of the movie, be warned: there have been a few changes. That aside, the core story remains the same – Beverly Hills sorority queen Elle is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her before he departs for Harvard Law School because she isn’t “serious” enough.

Resolving to win him back, she hits the books and manages to get accepted to the renowned centre of learning, where her frothy fashion and bubbly disposition put her at odds with her fellow students and professors. Cue personal growth and life lessons as she defies the odds to change everyone’s opinion of her and also find true love along the way.

Davis proves a good choice for the lead role. In a roundabout way, she has lived it and can surely identify with Elle. She was heavily criticised for joining Strictly Come Dancing as she had so much West End experience. However, she managed to defy her critics and change people’s perceptions of her throughout the run of the show.

While Elle/Amber might be the star of the show, the biggest cheer at the end of the night was reserved for Karen Mavundukure, who plays manicurist Paulette. She gives a fantastic comedy performance accompanied by powerhouse vocals. She also had the advantage of singing a song called Ireland which obviously appealed to the audience.

Also proving hugely popular were the canine cast members Sprout and Rocco, who play Elle and Paulette’s dogs Bruiser and Rufus, respectively. Their appearance on stage rightly drew a collective “awwwww” from the audience.

Much like its protagonist, this musical is light and fluffy fun. While all the vocals are brilliant, it doesn’t have the strongest musical soundtrack, and there aren’t any songs that will stick with you afterwards.

Despite this, it proved extremely engaging thanks to the cast’s energy and the wonderful sets, which are as colourful as Elle is. It did help that I had seen the film and knew the basic story, but even if you haven’t, this is a decent night’s entertainment.