BMT Productions 
The Regent Centre, Christchurch
Bethany Sivewright
30 July 2026
Ohmigod, ohmigod you guys! What a joyful, uplifting evening of entertainment from BMT Productions. Even before entering the auditorium, I could tell I was in for an exciting night by the sheer amount of pink making its way towards the seats – the audience was in the spirit and ready to have a good time, and BMT certainly delivered. From the moment the band struck up right through to the closing note the room was full of energy, enthusiasm and fun!
For those who don’t know, Legally Blonde is a musical adaptation of the iconic Reese Witherspoon film from 2001 (which was itself based on a book – I’ve learnt something tonight!). It tells the story of Elle Woods, a fashion student from California who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in pursuit of love, and instead learns to be true to herself, to stand on her own two feet and that even lawyers look good in pink.
While there were some excellent individual performances, credit must first and foremost go to the cast and production team as a whole; Legally Blonde is truly an ensemble piece. The opening and closing numbers were exceptionally strong, bookending the show with strength both vocally and visually, while the number of high-energy group dance numbers throughout were a feast for the senses. Not one cast member dropped the ball or let their energy or concentration slip; the entire cast were slick and filled the stage with their synchronised dance moves and magnetic enthusiasm. Particular praise goes to the Greek Chorus and Delta Nu girls who shone every time they were on stage and led the way by keeping up the tempo from beginning to end. While it is hard to pick out particular members from the ensemble, this is to their credit as they were so in sync in attitude, choreography and costume that they seemed to blend into one big supportive girl gang cheering on their inspiring leader. Speaking of cheering on, the cheerleading scene was spectacular. I certainly didn’t expect to see acrobatics, pom poms and lifts during a night out at The Regent and must give credit to the girls’ bravery and willingness to throw themselves in to the roles – they pulled it off in incredible fashion! Similar can be said of all those involved in the Whipped Into Shape exercise class scene; led by the brilliant Chloe-Louisa Hughes as Brooke Wyndham, they somehow made skipping while singing live on stage look easy! For an amateur company, there was certainly nothing amateur about this cast’s performances as each and every one of them truly embodied the spirit of Elle Woods by looking the audience dead in the eye and asking “What, like it’s hard?”. Very well done to choreographer Beth Gibson-Green who not only did an outstanding job of whipping her cast into shape with her bold creative choices, but did so while heavily pregnant and post-birth. Mad props to you Beth!
Leading this fantastic cast was Megan Jones as the unstoppable Elle Woods. This is Megan’s first production with BMT and she seemed to fit right in, owning the stage and truly embodying the role of the sweet yet fierce, inspiring and formidable leader. Suzy Hill was fantastic as Elle’s best friend Paulette Bonafonté; Jennifer Coolidge in the role is certainly a hard act to follow but Suzy did a wonderful job of making it entirely her own with humour, courage and incredible vocals. Marlie Hodgikinson was a worthy adversary as Elle’s rival-in-love Vivienne Kensington, bringing the house down with her powerhouse vocals when she eventually stepped out of her “serious” shell. Thomas Critchell and Alastair Snell were like chalk and cheese as Elle’s two potential love interests; Alastair bringing the sleezy Warner Huntington III to life while Thomas filled the stage with warmth and positivity as Emmett Forrest. Rob Dorey was suitably cruel and unfeeling as Professor Callahan, while his students, among them Alice Smethurst as Enid Hoopes, played the role of grovelling hopefuls well. Other stand-out moments came from Dale Gregory and James Doherty-Box, who were both hilarious every time they stepped on stage as Kyle and Carlos respectively. And shout-out to the four-legged stars Huxley and Archie as Bruiser and Rufus, who certainly upped the cute factor!
Accompanying the actors were the talents of a band of local musicians, led by Musical Director James Stead. Unfortunately there were a few sound issues where certain lines were lost beneath the music (some cast members could benefit from projecting a little more to compensate for this), but on the whole everything could be heard and the live band was a wonderful accompaniment to the on-stage performance. The set was creative and visually interesting, with different heights increasing the dynamic feel and making effective use of the entirety of the stage. While set changes were minimal, the use of large projections gave a unique feel to each scene and curtains opening through the projections giving the appearance of entering through different doors and windows worked perfectly. BMT have once again proved that when used well, projection can be just as good, if not better, than a traditional backdrop.
All in all, Legally Blonde was a fun and fabulous evening out put on by a stellar cast and crew from BMT. If you love musical theatre you’ll love this show, and if you are a fan of the film, whether a musical lover or not, you will certainly not be disappointed by this faithful and uplifting adaptation. Fans of the film should look forward in particular to the Bend and Snap scene and big courtroom reveals. This is a joyful production, full of energy and spreading a wonderfully positive message that celebrates individuality, resilience and girl power, proving that you can be both fabulous and formidable. I would absolutely recommend going to see Legally Blonde to young and old – you’ll leave the theatre feeling So Much Better than before! It runs until Saturday 1st August, including a BSL interpreted Saturday matinee.
