I am quite sure the fifties were a good time to have been growing up in post war America. Life must have been so much simpler during the fifties! Jobs were plentiful and there was a lot more spare cash for many, including teenagers. Rock n Roll was beginning to swamp the hit parade of popular music charts. Bill Haley started the hits rolling with Rock around the Clock, but it was the boy from Memphis, Elvis Presley, who lit the fire for teenage audiences across the globe.

The working-class greasers of the industrial states with their leather jackets, motorbikes & fast cars are represented in this musical Grease by the Burger Palace Boys, substitute them with the T-Birds from the award winning 1978 film starring John Travolta & singer Olivia Newton – John. The permissive society of the sixties was yet to emerge, and teenage boys & girls were still visiting the back row of the movie cinemas or drive in, in search of a quick kiss or fondle, away from the protective eyes of their parents.

The story follows a whirlwind summer romance, with leather-clad greaser Danny Zuko ( Marley Fenton) and the girl‑next‑door Sandy Dumbrowski ( Hope Dawe) who are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High for her senior year. But can they both survive the trials and tribulations of growing up, the conflicts with friends, gang fights and the struggles with the opposite sex and find true love?

With its phenomenal score, bursting with hits including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want, this thrilling new version, directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Arlene Phillips, is brought to life by a fresh young cast who bring energy, vitality and passion to this ultimate musical classic.

Grease has been seen by over 500,000 people in the West End, making it the Dominion Theatre’s most successful summer run since We Will Rock You. The production received four WhatsOnStage Award nominations for Best Musical Revival, Best Choreography for Arlene Phillips and Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for original cast members Jocasta Almgill and Paul French.

The musical originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. During the show’s eight-year run at the time, little known actors including Patrick Swayze and John Travolta all appeared in the production, with Richard Gere understudying many roles before going on to star as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London premiere. Grease was first performed at the Dominion Theatre in 1993, and returned to the West End in 2007.

The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time. I loved the movie and was looking forward to hearing many of those classic songs once again, Summer Nights, Greased Lightning, Sandy, Hopelessly devoted to you & of course, You’re the one that I want.

I was not disappointed! There were many individual vocal performances, particularly in Act Two. Shakin at the High School Hop set the high standards after the interval, Johnny Casino (Adam Davidson) & the Rydell Kids demonstrated not only excellent singing qualities but also brilliant jive dance routines! Irrepressible Disc jockey Vince Fontaine (Joe Gash) was an amusing but sometimes incidental attraction during the first act but when he came down from his eagles nest to front of stage to perform the classic Hand Jive his gyrations and character threatened to steal the show. The audience loved him!

There were many other solid performances during a very entertaining evening of musical drama. George Michaelides ( Kenickie) was superb, a brooding, confident self-centred adolescent, moulded on a composite of Jimmy Dean in `Rebel Without a Cause` and Marlon Bando of `The Wild One`. A wonderful performance. Imogen Malone (Betty Rizzo) and Hope Dawe (Sandy Dumbrowski) both made me believe in their characters and produced excellent individual vocal performances with, `There are worse things I could do` and Hopelessly devoted to you`, respectively.

The twenty-four strong cast received a well earned standing ovation at the end of their performance. If you loved the movie, you will certainly want to see this stage show. There were people seated behind me singing along from the very beginning of the show. A cracking presentation, a superb evenings entertainment, full of familiar and not so familiar songs performed by accomplished set of musicians and actors. Highly recommended.

Grease takes to the Derngate stage until Saturday 18 May, with performances at 7.30pm each night and matinees at 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets – priced from £17* – can be booked by calling Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk.