Review of TheatreTrain Isle of Wight's Grease at Shanklin Theatre

A double cast split the four performances between them, but on Saturday evening it was Fred Valvona and Cally Parry who took the lead as the iconic Danny and Sandy.

Fred’s mannerisms were suitably Travolta-esque, whilst Cally was a refreshingly feisty Sandy without losing the innate sweetness that makes her so iconic.

A knockout performance was delivered by Lydia Jones as Kenickie, whose energy and characterisation were in a league of their own.

It's fun at Rydell High! (Image: TheatreTrain IW)

Playing Kenickie’s opposite number, Rizzo, was Lilly Valvona, her flawless vocals in There Are Worse Things I Could Do bringing the house down.

The T-Birds – played by Tom Howarth, Roscoe Lloyd and Charlie Cule - shared a wonderful camaraderie, as did the Pink Ladies – played by Lyla Hunter, Ruby Clarke and Tirzah Brown – with some lovely harmonies and great comedic moments peppering their numbers.

A special mention must go to Lyla Hunter for her rendition of Freddy My Love and to Charlie Cule and Ruby Clarke for a fantastic performance of Mooning.

Supporting cast members Hayden Stanford, Selena Angelini, Anika Conkelton, Maisie Tickle and Jay Sangha all threw themselves into their characters, and there’s a comedienne in the making in Sasha Ball, whose natural comic timing as Eugene never failed to raise a smile.

The ensemble – confidently led by vocal captain Carys Broome and dance captain Jay Sangha - were clearly having a ball.

Hannah Katsikides’ choreography deserves praise, too, covering a range of styles and levels to make sure every student of every age had their moment to shine.

What always makes youth theatre productions so special is the level of enthusiasm within the cast, and the clear friendships they have forged off-stage that translate so well to their on-stage personas.

The team behind Theatretrain IW are no doubt very proud indeed of their students, and rightly so - Grease is always a toe-tapper, and this was no exception!