40 years on and Grease is still the word!

Grease opened last night in Belfast's Grand Opera House, we sent along one of our junior freelancers, here is what she had to say about it

Everyone has seen the iconic 1978 movie and decades later people of all ages are still in love with the 50s aesthetics and the story of Sandy and Danny.

The theatre was packed with people excited for Ulster Operatic Company’s production and they did not disappoint. The first thing I noticed when lights went up was the amazing set design. It really took you back to the time of the show. The scenery and set throughout the show were just as great, I especially loved the Diner which filled you with nostalgia from the movie. From beginning to end the show was filled with fantastic choreography by Timmy Bell performed by an amazingly talented cast. Stand out points for me were ‘Greased Lightin’ and ‘We Go Together’ where the stage was filled with people giving it their all, it really captured the fun and energetic spirit one would expect from Grease.

Performers Caitlin McClurg & Jamie Johnson were perfect in their roles. Caitlin as Sandy was beautifully emotional during ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ and had a wonderful voice and Jamie Johnston pulled off the cool guy with a heart of gold act to a T , he made the ideal Danny, he had the audience laughing throughout ‘Summer Nights’ but genuinely feel for him during ‘Sandy’. The two had amazing chemistry and had the crowd going wild during ‘You’re The One That I Want’.

The T-Birds and Pink Ladies were wonderful! One particularly emotional moment was Ciara Mackey in ‘There Are Worse Things I Could Do’ with such a powerful voice and emotive performance, there wasn’t a single person in the theatre who didn’t feel for Rizzo. Another standout in the cast was Tommy Bell as Eugene. He had perfect comedic timing and some hilarious dance moves, he really made everyone love the stereotypical nerd. The audience were in awe throughout, Matthew Cavan’s ‘Beauty School Dropout’ from his entrancing voice to his hilarious drag performance was definitely the highlight of the show. The audience was roaring with laughter from start to finish, there wasn’t a single person not talking about it after the show. The lightning and costumes were brilliant and definitely helped with the 50s feel and the vibe. Overall the whole show was absolutely beautiful, I’d happily watch again, highly recommend it, going forward I shall be looking out for future productions by Ulster Operatic Company.

An extra show has been added to the run though tickets are extremely limited, vist www.goh.co.uk, click here or call the box office on 028 9024 1919