Legally Blonde, WOW! - Braintree & Witham Times Review

by Ron Fosker

A blaze of colour bounces off the stage in WOW!’s latest production, Legally Blonde.

The bright red Harvard gowns to the ghostly white Greek chorus and the lurid orange of the skipping dance – with some clever intricate moves from Poppy Fisher – are topped by the various shades of pink adorning the lead character Elle Woods.

Hannah Ireland, who plays Elle, is the latest off Witham Amateur Operatic Society’s junior section’s seemingly endless production line.

After making her debut two years ago at the age of 13, she graduated to the demanding central role in which she was rarely off the stage.

She showed great poise and assurance, a good grasp of the nuances of the role and a powerful singing voice.

Emily Birt, as the lively Paulette, showed good comic timing, particularly in the riff on Ireland (the country not Hannah), while Fraser McLauchlan, William Hackett and Tom Nicoll made the male roles their own.

In a show lacking memorable songs, the dancing came into its own and choreographer Louise Lachance marshalled her forces with her usual flair while the whole thing was skilfully held together by director Nikki Mundell-Poole, returning to the role after a six-year absence.

After the final performance, Tom Nicoll was presented with the Helen Temperley Memorial Award, given each year for ‘loyalty, hard work, selfless commitment and a great sense of fun and enjoyment.’