Grease

Grease the musicalGrease was the word for Reading Operatic Society at The Hexagon, Reading from 25-28 September 2013. This smash hit from the pen of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey was eagerly awaited and greeted with good audiences.

Grease really made its mark when John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John burst onto the screen in 1978 but it was based on the stage musical that premiered seven years earlier. Reading Operatic Society’s production remained faithful to the original and even featured a full size (as in full size American) car which posed a few challenges for the restricted wing space at The Hexagon.

The production also marked a first with the Wednesday performance being interpreted for the hard of hearing by Stacey Stockwell.

The Grease cast included Craig Duffield as Danny Zuko, Nicky Jaggar as Sandy Dumbrowski, Ellie Ulrich as Betty Rizzo, Sam Pemberton as Kenickie, Damian Sollesse as Tean Angel, Stuart Neal as Johnny Casino, Matthew Filmore as Vince Fontaine, Samatha Prior as Miss Lynch, Gemma Didcock as Old Patty Simcox, Phil Elliott as Old Eugene Florczyk, Katie Cox as Jan, Claire Johnson as Marty Marachino, Ollie Kyte as Doody, Sam Chapman as Roger ‘Putzie’, Jerome Ifill as Sonny La Tierri, Emily Evans as Frenchy, Naomi Winter as Young Patty Wilcox, Stuart Brookfield as Young Eugene Florczyk, Bonita Yasmin as Charlene ‘Cha Cha’ Di Gregorio and Abi Clarke as Radio Voice. It was directed by Amanda Maskell, assisted by Trevor Dobson with musical director Mark Webb and choreographer Scott Jenkins alongside the Reading Operatic Society’s residential production team – David Parsonson production manager, Carol Hodgkinson stage manager and Kim Hollamby lighting designer.

GALLERY