Legally on stage

Jan 20 2022 | By More

Eusog return to live with “biggest” show ever

The first of Edinburgh’s Amateurs out on stage following this coming Monday’s lifting of the audience Covid cap will be Eusog with its “biggest production ever” – Legally Blonde the Musical.

The show – an adaptation of the 2001 film staring Reese Witherspoon – opens at the Church Hill Theatre on Burns Night, Tuesday 25 January 2022, and runs for five nights, with a matinee on Saturday.

Olivia Hall as Elle Woods. Pic: Eusog.

Producer Lewis Forman told Æ: “Coming back onto the scene after the pandemic was always going to be big, so we thought, ‘let’s go as big as we can. Let’s pick the biggest, flashiest, most amazing musical we can think of.’

“And that musical is Legally Blonde. There is nothing like a feel-good story about a strong independent woman defying expectations to get people excited for the theatre again.”

The show follows Elle Woods who appears to have it all – but her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law.

Olivia Hall takes on the role of Elle Woods with Ben Evans as Warner Huntington III. Conor Ó’Cuinn takes on the role of decent lawyer Emmett Forrest who works with Elle at Harvard with Lizzie Baldwin in the plum role of the beautician Paulette Bonafonte who befriends her.

“it’s still surreal to be back…”

“We are still rehearsing in studios at the moment,” says Forman, “but it’s still surreal to be back after all this time. It’s been so much fun to be able to get back to doing what we love. We have visited the theatre a number of times, and the size of the stage, the number of seats, the dressing rooms, it all feels too good to be true so the fact that it is happening is just incredible.”

The Legally Blonde company make hearts in rehearsal. Pic: Eusog.

Determined to get Warner back, Elle ingeniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

“I think that the show is a spectacle in itself” says Forman when asked if he has a best bit. “It works best when considered as a whole. With that said, I just love the climax of the show towards the end of Act 2 – I won’t spoil anything, but it is perfect. It’s so empowering to watch no matter who you are.”

good looking plushes

And dogs. Does the production feature any live canine performers as some previous productions have done?

“Unfortunately not” admits Forman, adding: “We have some really good looking plushes though. It was always an exciting idea to put dogs on stage but in practice, with all the other variables and challenges we have faced this year, we thought it was best to remove this very difficult task!”

Looking at the show’s credits you can’t help but be drawn to the number of co-artistic roles – it has a pair of costume designers and of choreographers, a trio of MDs and another of directors while there are four bodies on producing duties.

The Producers: Liz Dokukina, Alice Whiteman, Izzy Ponsford,and Lewis Forman. Pic: Eusog.

“I think it’s many hands making better work, rather than light work” says Forman. “Everyone is working maximally hard and, given the limited time-frame of the production, it’s to do with everyone working as hard as we possibly can.

“There are so many things we’ve achieved that wouldn’t have been possible with a smaller team. They’re things that you might notice on stage, or maybe not, but if you were to put this production next to the theoretical production with a much smaller team, I am confident that this one is “so much better”, to quote the show.

pink, sparkly, over the top

“Yes, too many cooks can spoil a broth, but sometimes everyone puts in exactly the right ingredients and makes a really delicious soup. A pink, sparkly, over the top, well-rehearsed, and massively entertaining soup.”

The proof of any pudding – or indeed soup – is in the eating. So let’s hope that this is a tasty treat as well!

Legally Blonde – The Musical
Church Hill Theatre, 33a Morningside Road, EH10 4DR
Tue 25 – Sat 29 Jan 2022
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat Mat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.

ENDS

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