Legally Blonde London, The Review

Published on 26 January 2010 by Carrie Dunn

Expecting a festival of froth and a pantheon of pink at the Savoy Theatre?

Well, in one way, yes, you're spot on. Legally Blonde the Musical is funny and deft with a delightful happy ending, and if that's what you want, then get down there sharpish.

But this is not just a straightforward movie-to-musical adaptation; Legally Blonde the Musical is a show with real heart.

If you're expecting a straight lift of film script, you'll be disappointed. Sheridan Smith's Elle isn't as razor-sharp as Reese Witherspoon in the movie. Instead, when we meet her at the start, she's a very real, very human twentysomething student — a bit lazy, a bit spoiled, used to having everything handed to her on a plate and too immature to as yet have questioned any of her assumptions about life (like the necessity of snagging a good-looking, high-earning hubby).

Above all, though, she has a good heart and an exceptional mind if only she could be bothered to apply it. She's spent her time at college coasting through her course in fashion merchandising and racking up the high grades without even trying; so when she takes on the rather different challenge of law school, she needs to drastically reassess her standards, and her ambitions.

Similarly, Alex Gaumond's Emmett is less of a cipher than Luke Wilson's version. He's watchable, he's likeable, but he's as much a kicked puppy as hairdresser Paulette's beloved Rufus, mistreated by her evil ex.

Emmett's had a rough childhood and that's driven him through law school, where he's ended up a social outcast, and he can't progress any further as a lawyer because his low self-confidence has trapped him as a punchbag for the powerful, charismatic, egomaniacal Professor Callahan. Emmett's too scared to stand up to this bully, and can't see any career path other than nibbling on the crumbs that may get thrown from Callahan's table.

When Elle and Emmett meet in the competitive corridors of Harvard, their brief conversation is the first pleasant one either has had all day. Their eagerness to make friends and their distinctive though contrasting styles of dress have marked them out as total outsiders, and the rest of the young lawyers can smell the "blood in the water".

Yet their budding friendship is cemented through their shared kind natures and their moral integrity; and as they grow closer it is the friendship of the other — rather than any romantic involvement — that inspires them "to become the best that they can be".

Yes, we get the happy ending, but by then both have realised their own capabilities — neither needs anyone to hold their hands in order to succeed.

Legally Blonde the Musical may be romantic, but there's a moral fable at its core. Every main character has flaws and a redemptive arc; even Elle's money and status obsessed ex Warner, who could easily be played by Duncan James as a charming cad, isn't a bad guy, just a bit shallow and susceptible to parental and peer pressure, but he grows up and chooses his own path in life in the end.

The over-emphasis on the cutesy animals and the inevitable audience aaahing can be a bit stomach-churning; and in terms of vocal ability one or two of the principals are slightly limited, as I'm sure they would admit.

Jill Halfpenny is charming as Paulette, but her singing lacks some of the technique and power required on the big notes; Caroline Keiff, a much-loved Nessarose in Wicked, is strangely subdued here, though that might be a problem with the sound levels; Duncan James's voice is improving in musical theatre terms; and while Smith doesn't have as big a belt as some of her American predecessors, her comedy timing is second to none.

Susan McFadden, in a glossy dark wig, deserves a special mention for her adorable performance as Serena; Chris Ellis-Stanton makes a few delightful cameos as Paulette's love interest(s); and Aoife Mulholland, as fitness queen Brooke Wyndham, has the most enviable abs in the business as well as the funniest line of the show.

Sure, this show is going to attract a very different demographic — particularly a younger audience — than many of the musicals in London. But is that such a bad thing?

At a time when the West End is booming despite an economic downturn, it's good to know that there are fun shows there to cheer us up, and that there's an audience (the next generation) for live theatre assured for years to come.