Grease the Musical opens at Scarborough's YMCA theatre - it is uplifting, joyous, full of pizzazz and great performances

The young cast of YMCA Productions put pizzazz into their staging of the musical made famous by the film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John in 1978.

It is a high school romance set in the 1950s complete with cheerleaders, fast cars, burger bars and coffee houses – populated by teenagers with attitude and obsessed by the opposite sex.

Goody-two-shoes Sandy has a summer romance with bad-boy Danny – only to find he ignores her when they start back at school for the autumn semester.

The other girls also make it tough for her to fit in.

The show is filled to the brim with great singing from Hopelessly Devoted to You and Sandy to There Are Worse Things I Could to Summer Nights and You’re the One That I Want.

Their delivery is also a credit to musical director Jessica Douglas.

Choreographer Devan Kellett captures the 1950s mood and movement in Born to Hand Jive, We Go Together, Grease Lightnin’ and the title song.

Director James Aconley plays to his cast’s strengths, giving each of them the chance to shine in a solo and cameo.

The role of Sandy is shared between Megan Brewster and Evie McGlinchey. The night I saw it Evie played the roles – her vocals are amazing especially on Hopelessly Devoted to You and You’re the One That I Want.

James Ireland was her match with an electrifying turn as Danny.

Three cheers for Jasmine Towse as the the sassy, brassy Rizzo – whether singing Sandra Dee with a note of sarcasm or the unapologetic lament There Are Worse Things I Could Do she is fabulous.

There is strong support in cameos from Adam Johnson, Abbie Binder, George Schmuck, Jack Wheeler and Juliette Scarborough.

Everyone of them deserves the well-earned claps and cheers as they take their bows.

The finale is a joyous reprise of the songs and dances – and is impossible to resist singing and doing the hand-jove along with the cast which has given its all for two hours.

You will be hand-jiving and singing out We Go Together all the way out of the auditorium into St Thomas Street.

The show is uplifting and a celebration of love and friendship to help us out of the dark days which have dogged the past year and a half.

It was a delight to see the young people back on the stage they clearly love – and giving their all to entertain us.

The theatre has a range of Covid-secure measures still in place to ensure the safety of their audiences, cast, staff and volunteers.

The bar and sweet stall are also open.

GREASE CAST

Sandy – Megan Brewster / Evie McGlinchey

Danny – James Ireland

Doody / Teen Angel – Jack Wheeler

Sonny – Sam Langley

Rizzo – Jasmine Towse

Kenickie – Adam Johnson

Roger – George Schmuck

Frenchy – Abbie Binder

Marty – Fleur Robinson

Jan – Megan Blake

Vince/Jonny Casino – Matthew Rhodes

Miss Lynch – Juliette Scarborough

Cha Cha – Lucy Marshall

Patty Simcox – Holly Dresser

Eugene – Thomas Atkinson

Grease runs from now until Saturday August 14, daily at 7.30pm with no performance on Sunday August 8.

For tickets and further information visit www.ymcascarborough.uk or call 01723 506750.

The box office in St Thomas Street is also open during the day.