REVIEWED BY E.K.K. SUBHASHI BHAGYA
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
As the audience takes their seat and the cozy Union Theatre fills with the laughter and chatter of the eager spectators, the first thing that catches my eye is the big, colorful and whimsical projection of the play title onto the purple curtains. This itself sets the stage for the vibrancy that’s to take the place and foreshadows the insane amount of rainbow hues that are going to fill the stage. As the lights slowly dim and the curtains open, I already know I’m in for a color filled evening. My only question right now is: will this play do the Golden Globe-nominated movie that has a special place in every girl’s heart proud? With a pen and a notepad, I’m more than ready to find out.
The infamous Hollywood movie Legally Blonde, the inspiration behind this musical, follows Elle who’s a young woman battling against a patriarchal society that flings out hurtful stereotypes at her constantly. Guided by her independent courage and unshakeable confidence, she fights against all odds and, at every hurdle, comes out ten times stronger with the help of her faithful friends. The story follows her journey to the prestigious law school, Harvard, while defying doubts from people around her (including her very own boyfriend) and transforming to an independent woman who discovers her true potential in an attempt of chasing the so-called love of her life. As a pointed critique of society’s “dumb blonde” stereotype and the pressure on women to fit in rather than stand out, this musical earns its place as a feminist classic. While delivering a powerful message, it leaves the audience truly inspired and filled with giggles. It’s a tall order for any cast to pull off, but this production rose to the challenge.
From the very first energetic scene of “Omigod! You guys” to the final bow one thing was made clear, the costume designer Jessamy Bennett didn’t come to play. Every character was adorned in the most playful costumes for the entire night from miniskirts to the brightest, most colorful tops. Just as impressive was Elle’s outfit coordination which also had a bonus of multiple smooth on-stage costume transitions. In the “Legally Blonde (Remix)” scene, her slick power move of transitioning from her going away coat which was a symbol of her surrender to her signature pink office suit contrasting to show her inner faith and tenacity was well received with a sounding applause by the audience. Costumes were also planned in a way such that pink was as much a part of Elle as it was her identity where in every scene Elle was seen with some pink article whether it was her outfit, her shoes or even simply the pen she was holding. This helped build Elle’s on-stage presence, character and made her stand out.
Multiple costumes were included in the play from jail outfits and cheerleader costumes to the infamous skimpy shorts of the UPS delivery guy Kyle, played by Jed Yates, which was well received by the audience. His costume, which came with a delivery box attached to his waist, was a perfect way of creating humor. Just as deserving of praise is Emmett, played by Liam Clark, and his grand reveal after his makeover from Elle in the scene “Take It Like a Man” where the audience was very impressed with his sharp suit and tie which even raised some cheers and playful hoots from the crowd. Pauline’s ex-husband Dewey also had an elaborate outfit that helped represent his character accurately. Also, worth noting is Elle’s famous bunny costume at the Halloween party which closely resembled the one from the film. Costumes were also used to build contrast on stage with the law students’ boring grey suits starkly standing out against Elle and her friends’ bright vibrant Californian outfits and, of course, Elle’s very own bright hot pink personality. Overall, being a bit of shopaholic and fashion fanatic myself, I thoroughly enjoyed all the costumes in the play and was dazzled by a wardrobe brilliantly executed from start to finish.
Moving on, a consistent use of multiple props and sets was seen throughout this production, which even included a full-on roll-out bed and two full clothing racks. Some of the sets built on stage included Elle’s bedroom, the restaurant for the breakup scene, the courtroom, the classroom, Paulette’s salon, the jail and the bathroom. Elle’s bedroom even featured a wall covered with fashion magazine posters helping reflect her fashion-forward personality. The stage setups were seamlessly executed, with commendation due to the stage manager Evi Chung and the set designer Abby Wetenhall and the entire production design team. Using a soft toy for Elle’s dog Bruiser was a creative use of props, just like Kyle’s postal box. Not to be overlooked, the use of mini pride flags being waved in the “There, Right There!” scene was both artistic and humorous. Altogether, these elements combined helped a more realistic and engaging experience to the audience where there was never a dull moment every scene felt genuinely alive creating a stage filled with so much theatrical joy.
And now to the stars of the show: the talented cast of this production. Starting from the main character herself Elle woods played by Pippi Bottomley embodied the role entirely. From her vocal range across all numbers to her unmistakable “Elle energy” she delivered a standout performance right down to the iconic hair flips and feminine walk giving physical reality to her character. Successfully handling the show’s emotional beats, particularly in the quitting scenes in “legally blonde” and during warner’s proposal to Vivienne she also was amazing at creating humor in “bend and snap” and not to forget her vocal shifts between big belts and softer, emotional moments never felt forced. Her poise and demeanor commanded the stage from the opening beats of “Omigod You Guys” through to the finale, dancing on the beat throughout.
Vivienne Mackenzie who played Paulette the hair stylist was also a comedic standout, from her cleverly done accent to her use of physical comedy (the hip shake in “Bend and Snap,” flirting with Kyle, playing up a bad back for laughs) she played a huge role in creating laughter among the audience for the night with an Irish dance that landed strongly and earned some of the loudest cheers of the night (including mine).
Liam Clarke’s Emmett Forrest felt lifted straight off the movie as in terms of both casting and costume from his mid part hairstyle to the satchel, down to his quiet and nervous disposition, he was the perfect depiction of what Emmett Forrest would look like. He had strong vocals throughout and even though he had a brief vocal hiccup he recovered with real professionalism. His yearning and love for Elle was well played in the “Legally Blonde” scene and all his lines were delivered with such grace and warmth earning the audience’s appreciation.
Enid Hoops, played by Selina Lokan, also bought an unmatched bubbly energy to the theatre so much so that the play wouldn’t have been what it would have without her. Her theatrical skill was shown particularly in the prison visit to Ms Wyndham and the “There, Right There!” scene where her spontaneous jumps up and down and other body and facial expressions bought both humor and heart to the role using both speech and action carefully to do so. It was an absolute thrill to see her on stage!
As for the Greek chorus and trio of Elle’s sorority sisters Serena, Margot and Pilar who were played by Elise Curry, Ava Allen and Cate Horsfall respectively, were successful in being a tight riveting unit from the start to the end. From Elise’s hairstyle of a short bob and impressive facial expressions to Margot’s vocal range and Pilar’s movements and energetic dances, to harmonizing in their scenes as the Greek chorus (“Scene of the Crime”) with their witty and entertaining comments, they delivered a smooth powerful performance for the entirety of the play. With the Californian accent and dragging of the words to mimic the characters and the sassy hair flick backs and hip shakes, they were responsible for the playful atmosphere in the play.
Honorable mentions also goes to Ruben Fitton for playing Professor Callahan’s role in the most serious manner embodying a deep voice, Charlie Maple-Brown for playing Warner Huntington and portraying his rich, snobby attitude accurately, Annie Hutchings for her role as Vivienne Kensington and delivering her lines smoothly and depicting emotions seamlessly and, of course, Bess Bignall who played Ms. Wyndham for being so talented to be able to dance, jump rope and sing all at once. The full cast, ensemble included, were so lively and enthusiastic, that you could truly see how passionate they were about the play and how much effort and time had been put in. It was all well executed and as a member of the audience, I can’t appreciate enough how good the acting was.
Moving on to a few other minor details, the lighting, skillfully handled by the lighting designer Connor Maher Lemaitre used pink light in all of Elle’s victory moments, a red light in Professor Callahan’s “Blood in the Water” scene to foreshadow the danger he’s yet to unleash and a green one during the Irish dance as a nod to Ireland’s national colors. Not only did this make the play multicolored but it also added to the dramatic theatrical atmosphere. The sound team, led by Freddie Tremlett also deserves credit for the well-timed music and sound cues with shifts in volume to reflect emotions like suspense and joy. The dances, choreographed by Sitara Ferguson, were all lively and energetic with my favorite being the Irish dance and the cheerleading number, which were both executed well. The dancers’ stage positioning could have been tighter at places, but the energetic and fresh dance moves covered up for it adding even more color to the production.
Credit is also due to the director Harrison Banks, assistant director Remie Gibbs, music director Jack Adams and vocal director Elish Murphy for all the effort behind preparing the cast which was apparent from how well executed and smooth the show felt start to finish. The entire cast’s vocal was brilliant, and the songs were delivered with real confidence.
To wrap up this review, my friend and I both agreed it was an evening well spent as not only did we catch a few hearty laughs, but we were also blown away by the pure talent from our own fellow students. I came in with great expectations, and I left with a verdict that they exceeded all of them at every turn. Well done, cast and crew as you did us girls who love this movie for its feminine energy proud.
Legally Blonde was presented by Queen’s College at the Union Theatre 10 – 12 September 2026.
E.K.K SUBHASHI BHAGYA is a first year commerce student who loves any form of expression and art. Subhashi used to write up a lot of short stories as a kid and enjoys reading up on poetry and other creative art out there.
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
