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★★★★★
One of the most highly anticipated openings of 2026 is the UK and Ireland tour of ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’, featuring Amber Davies in the role of Elle Woods. 19 years since the show debuted on Broadway and 16 years since it opened in London, a brand-new production of the musical is currently touring the country, bringing Elle’s Harvard adventures to life in a dazzling spectacular. Directed by Nikolai Foster, this is the musical that everybody is talking about right now and rather excitingly, it’s been at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury this week. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the show on press night, and it was a joy to see this musical reimagined for a 2026 audience.
A timely revival of a much-adored musical
At the start of the performance admittedly I was a little nervous about what was to come, purely because I grew up with the show and the original West End production is one of the reasons that I became interested in theatre. That being said, after 10-15 minutes of getting used to the styling and change of time period, I was completely drawn into the reimagining and could not help but be wowed by the performances, costume design (Tom Rogers) and gloriously pink set design (Colin Richmond). It’s a beautifully vibrant production, with dynamic lighting design (Ben Cracknell) and stellar cast performances. There are also some welcome but subtle changes to the script which bring the material up to date – notably a humorous reference to “Gen Z enthusiasm”.
Musical numbers and choreography
Looking at the production through a 2026 lens, it is brilliant to see how Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin’s memorable music and lyrics are still just as fun and entertaining all these years later. ‘Legally Blonde’ is actually on the shorter side of recent musicals, yet it is jam-packed with musical number after musical number. It is not often that you see such a home run of songs in current times and when combined with Leah Hill’s contemporary and exciting choreography, the creative team is onto an absolute winner here.
Cast performances
It goes without saying that this cast is pivotal to the success of the production, and they are led by Amber Davies who brings a refreshing perspective to the role of Elle, humanising her and making her feel arguably more down to earth than the original character. The performer is clearly having the time of her life in the role, and this joy radiates throughout the performance. Other standouts include the Delta Nu Greek Chorus: Hannah Lowther (Margot), Rosanna Harris (Serena) and Remi Ferdinand (Pilar), who act as Elle’s cheerleaders, alongside Karen Mavundukure as Paulette and George Crawford as Emmett. Paulette’s ‘Ireland’ and Emmett’s ‘Chip On My Shoulder’ reminded me of why I became such a huge fan of the musical as a teenager.
Perfect for Legally Blonde fans
This new version of ‘Legally Blonde’ is pure escapism on stage. The company gives everything to the performance, and you can’t help but leave the theatre feeling “Positive”, after such a fun production. I think it’s also important to mention how this production has the power to draw in a whole new generation of theatre fans. The excitement and energy in the room on opening night was absolutely electric. ‘Legally Blonde’ is such an adored property, but with these changes and renewed interest in the franchise with the ‘Elle’ prequel TV series later this year, the sky is the limit for the musical. The show is at the Marlowe Theatre until Saturday 28th March, before continuing on the rest of the tour. The last few tickets can be purchased via the theatre’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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