Holroyd Musical and Dramatic Soicety: Legally Blonde - Review by Daniel Conway

Adaptations are hard. Transferring from one medium to another is not always easy, because honouring the spirit and the energy of a beloved text is nearly impossible. This is especially true of screen-to-stage adaptations, as some stories do not translate into the broader strokes required for the theatre. This is not the case for Legally Blonde. The stage show leans into the camp in a way that elevates the story and leads to an experience that is always enjoyable. I have seen this show several times at this point, and the production by Holroyd Musical and Dramatic Society might be my favourite iteration. Top to bottom, this was a well-crafted stage show performed by an excellent cast who were a joy to watch.

The aesthetic that director Amy Biankin was going for is immediately clear in the set and the costuming. The set is sleek and clean, which is refreshing to see after many years of projections – which are increasingly AI-generated. The use of LED lights to create different spaces on stage, reflect the tone shifts and provide flair in dance numbers was effective. The shape of the set gave the cast ample room to move and brought the focus to the doors in the centre. That sleek, clean feel carries through to the costumes designed and curated by Jenna Van Bentum. The commitment to a modern Y2K aesthetic, with the pops of colour and styling of the Delta Nu girls, really grounded the show in its roots, while still updating it and making it feel fresh. Matthew Lutz’s lighting was, on balance, impressive. While there were moments where faces were in shadow, the design of the lighting on the set, as mentioned, and the use of colour in the musical numbers were brilliant and helped establish the tone and joy of the show.

Choreographer Brad Roe and his assistant Beck Ford hit it out of the park with this show. The numbers are tight and make sense in the space. While some numbers are high-octane and physically impressive, the rest felt easy for the cast. This is the sign of a great choreographer. It takes precision, intense cleaning and smart choices to make a number feel effortless. In fact, there was only one moment where I saw any sign of struggle in a dance number, and it only stood out because everything else worked seamlessly. Musical Director Natalie Davis-Pratt and her assistant Hannah Whitwell also impressed with the vocal cohesion on stage. All of the numbers sounded crisp and blended beautifully. The one downside to the sound came from the mics, which at times were not on for people’s solo lines.

Elle Woods is a hard role: you have to be superbly talented and instantly likeable – thankfully HMDS have Olivia Halliwell. Accompanied by Teddy as Bruiser, Halliwell brings Elle to life with so much charm and sass that you cannot help but cheer her on. In a cast full of people who are pulling focus in all of the right ways, Halliwell is the perfect anchor for the show, and her performance is elevated by this. It is special to see a performer who can shine without ever dimming the light of anyone else on stage. Her scenes with Laura Vassallo as Paulette are some of the highlights of the show. Vassallo is a comedic force, wholly committed and blessed with a wonderful singing voice, which shines through in her character song “Ireland”. The role of Paulette cannot be played small, and Vassallo commanded the stage, only ever overshadowed by a particularly excited golden retriever named Piper, who was the perfect Rufus.

In any other show, a role that called for a performer to be offstage during Act 1, feature in one song and have a few more lines here and there would be considered a princess track; however, the amount of work that Jess Littlewood did as Brooke Wyndham, particularly in “Whipped into Shape”, was astounding and anything but a princess track. Their ability to hold a glute bridge for as long as they did was insane. Robert Hall plays an excellent villain as Callahan. Commanding and slimy, Hall has a terrific presence and did a great job with “Blood in the Water”.

Nathaniel Lawson is thoroughly charming as Emmet, the love interest, giving off an energy that I can only compare to Patrick from Schitt’s Creek. His stunning voice and affable energy make him a superb romantic lead and a lovely complement to Halliwell. Douglas Bryant, however, excels at playing Warner as unlikeable as possible. Bryant is making choices that make Warner gormless, and I really enjoyed what he was doing on stage. Kate Betcher is the perfect Vivienne: the right amount of cold and catty, but with the warmth needed to pull off the shift at the end of the show. But it cannot be overstated how powerful her vocals are. Her final riffs are legendary.

Annabelle Payne, Rachel Bendeich and Erin Pratt play Margot, Serena and Pilar, the lead Delta Nus. These women all have lovely voices and stage presence. They blended together in their group numbers, while also showing flashes of individual character. Payne especially drew the audience’s eye with her personality and comedic timing.

Legally Blonde is an ideal show for ensemble members to feature and make the most of it. The whole cast were fantastic, and so many of them proved that there is no such thing as a small role, just small performances. It would be remiss of me not to shout out a few people. Joshua Straw had me in stitches multiple times with his commitment to characterisation and physical comedy. Chris Brennan as Kyle and Carlos was amazing, playing to the crowd expertly and milking every moment he was onstage. An extra-special shout-out to Angela Hatton, who played the store manager among other roles. Not only was she brilliant, with a great voice – her delivery of “It’s a gift from me to Elle” won’t be ending up on a bad compilation any time soon – but she learnt all of it in a short time frame, as she replaced a cast mate who unfortunately had to pull out at the last minute. Had I not been told, I never would have known; she fit into the role flawlessly.

Legally Blonde is a great show, and one that is done so well in the community space. This production is a testament to the collective efforts of the HMDS community, who have created something special and should be immensely proud. This was one of my favourite shows all year – so much so that I am bringing back the rating system.

I give Holroyd’s production of Legally Blonde 4.5 wags of two adorable dogs’ tails out of 5.