Blur of pink proves dazzlingly good fun

Legally Blonde, Opera House, manchester
THIS book-turned-movie-turned-stage musical dazzles its way into Manchester, filling the stage with power-station levels of energy and about as many shades of pink as it is possible for the human eye to distinguish.

This isn’t exactly intelligent theatre: heck it’s not even intelligent musical theatre. The story is wafer thin and utterly predictable — even if you haven’t seen the film; the music and lyrics are jolly but vapid, the humour is obvious and even-handed (it offends all stereotypes equally), and it plays the sentiment card to full stretch by having not one but two dogs on stage.

But curiously — bearing in mind that over the last few months we’re had “Sister Act”, “Ghost” and even the Lowry’s “Top Hat” filling the stage with sumptuous, high-tech sets — this one is remarkably old-fashioned and cheap looking, with rolled-on canvas walls and flat artwork.

But none of that matters too much because after cursing Elle’s bimbo lifestyle and swooning love for an idiot in the first few scenes, it’s actually good fun to watch her grow up, use her brain and get her career and a new man as the show rolls along.

And roll along it does, at speed: Faye Brookes is a force of nature as Elle, with great looks, a sympathetic personality and a theatre-busting singing voice. She is perfect casting in a role that sees her on stage throughout.

Her supporting players — Claire Sweeney as comedy pal Paulette, Dave Willetts as distinguished lawyer Callahan, Iwan Lewis as diffident older law student and would-be beau Emmet, and the surrounding camp (and I use that word advisedly in some cases) of friends, deliverymen, store workers and many other characters — must get through several cases of energy drinks a day, such is their workrate.

When all’s pink and done, this is show you watch for the sentiment, young-girl-makes-good, colour and fun side of life, and currently there can be few better at it.

It’s on until October 29, and you don’t need a law degree to enjoy it.