Script Youth Musical Theatre Company
Highbury Theatre. 2nd July 2025
Music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Neil Benjamin. Book by Heather Hach. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown.
Producers: Louise Sall and Tim Rice. Choreography by Amelia Cartledge.
I LOVE the Legally Blonde films so I was really looking forward to this one. I did wonder how successful a youth production would be. Spoiler: it was great!
Sets were apt. Scene changes were, for the most part, accomplished quickly and with no fuss. I did think one or 2 of the lighting cues were slightly slow and, at times, the music was a little loud for the voices, but it was opening night, and these things happen.
This company has a large ensemble cast, aged from 10 to 16 years and they work well together. The group numbers worked really well. The piece was well choreographed and everyone knew their steps. There were some very confident, accomplished performances, right from the beginning, and there was never a hint of nerves on display. I was also very impressed by how well they all held their American accents.
As ever, with such a large cast, it’s impossible to mention everyone so I will talk about a few standout performances. Peyton Lockley as Elle gave a really secure performance. She has a lovely singing voice and her confidence shone through. Daniel George was good as Emmett and he sang very well. Gracie Reynolds gave a great performance as Vivienne and, when she was belting out her numbers, her voice was wonderful. Nicole Bradbury as Brooke was amazing during her ‘Whipped into Shape’ number. The UPS man, Kyle, was played by Lewis Ward-Bygrave. His comic timing was wonderful and he really played up to the audience, who loved him. I think he’s one to watch. Maddie Howard was also great as Paulette and her scene with Kyle was hilarious. Their chemistry was undeniable.
It’s easy to see how much work goes into these shows and these young people were certainly well rehearsed. It was a really enjoyable night and I look forward to seeing more by them in the future.
Thank you Script Youth.
Reviewed by – Lesley L.
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