Musical Theatre / “Grease”, Canberra Philharmonic Society and Erindale Theatre. At Erindale Theatre until September 12. Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

The first, and certainly the most popular, in what has become a genre of teenage musicals, Grease has received several Canberra productions over the years.

With music, lyrics and book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and set in Chicago in the fictional Rydell High School in 1959, the musical follows a group of students navigating the complexities of sexual exploration, peer pressure, teenage pregnancy, and gang violence.

Major reasons for the continuing popularity of Grease are its catchy rock-infused score, and, of course, the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John which plays on high-rotation on streaming channels.

However, for this newest iteration by the Canberra Philharmonic Society the show has been reimagined by director, Bradley McDowell, as a high-energy dance extravaganza, thereby avoiding some of the darker aspects of the script.

Choreographer, Jordan Kelly, has created no fewer than twelve eye-popping full-stage dance numbers, performed with engaging enthusiasm by the entire cast. Kelly is a dab-hand at filling the stage with inventive moves, and his choreography cleverly showcases particular skills of various cast members to spectacular effect.

A pity therefore that Alex Clifford’s otherwise dazzling lighting design occasionally compromised the routines by having the dancers working in darkness while picking out principal characters with spotlights.

Subtlety is not a feature of the acting, and McDowell has obviously encouraged his cast to aim for fun rather than depth with their characterisations. Among the large, enthusiastic cast, Ashleigh Maynard sings her songs prettily and is appropriately winsome as Sandy, the girl willing to compromise her standards to get her man.

Samuel Whiter is engagingly gauche as Danny, the object of Sandy’s affections, and the leader of a dorky gang which includes Joseph Mansell as Kenickie, Hamish Chapman as Sonny, Sterling Notley as Roger and Toby Breach as Doody who offers an hilarious interpretation of his song, “Those Magic Changes”.

Their compliant girlfriends are played by Georgia Motto as Rizzo, Erin Hawker as Marty, Kay Liddiard as Jan and Emma English as Frenchy.

Among the feature roles, Meaghan Stewart chews up the scenery as Miss Lynch, Dave Collins provides a show-stopping performance as Teen Angel, with some amusingly eccentric characterisations offered by Chloe Archer as the go-getter, Patty, Declan Pigram as club owner, Johnny Casino, Michael Cooper as Vince Fontaine, Stephanie Waldron as Cha-Cha and Edward Murphy as Eugene.

Craig Johnson conducts the tight seven-piece band led by Ella Ragless on piano, Fergus Mashman and Kirsten Nilsson on saxophones, Ryan Yu on Bass, Thomas Breust, and Zoey Haar on Guitars and Tyler Forbes on Drums.

Although no-one is credited with set design in the informative printed program, the uncluttered set leaves plenty of room for the spectacular dance numbers, and for Clifford to demonstrate spectacular lighting effects, while Ange Fewtrell’s colourful fifties inspired costumes, with their swirling skirts for the ladies, are perfect for Kelly’s
energetic dance routines.

All of which combine in this spectacular production to provide the perfect excuse to revisit this much loved musical.

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