I saw Grease The Musical at Blackpool Opera House and it rolled back the years with a fantastic cast

The highs and lows of young romance still clearly appeal to those who were teens back in the 1970s, and to today’s teenagers judging by the age range of the audience.

But the musical is also a salute to the birth of rock and roll and youth culture in the 1950s, and that explosion of energy was brought to the Opera House stage from the moment the curtain went up.

Greaser Danny, girl-next-door Sandy and their classmates from Rydell High School are living through these changing times when life suddenly seemed to be turbo-charged. And the young cast of this latest production bring that vibrancy to life thanks to amazing dance skills, choreography and timing.

The show kicks off with the Grease anthem providing the pace right from the get-go, before the classic Summer Nights sets the scene. The acoustics of the Opera House mean the songs ring out across the theatre clearly and only some of the American dialogue is perhaps lost in translation.

Artistic Director Nikolai Foster has collaborated with choreographer Arlene Phillips so it is no surprise to see such intricate routines, and new interpretations of the story. Don’t expect the songs to come out in the same sequence as the film we are all familiar with, but no fear - all our favourites are there.

Hope Dawe as Sandy was a standout for me, with a powerful performance of Hopelessly Devoted To You, while Rebecca Stenhouse as Rizzo captured the meaness of Look At Me I’m Sandra Dee.

There are also some new numbers to enjoy, such as Danny’s ‘How Big I’m Gonna Be’ (excellently portrayed by Ben Middleton) in response to Sandy’s dressing down when she warns him he will never achieve anything in life.

It is a complex production yet costume and set changes were hardly noticed, and the vast Opera House stage means even the arrival of an authentic American car on the stage is handled with ease. Most of the time nearly all the cast is on stage, with reflective interludes providing the emotional rollercoaster of teenage dreams.

As the performance reaches its climax with You’re The One That I Want, everyone is itching to get out of their seats and dance, so the finale medley is a fabulous way to finish.

We streamed out in high spirits, with one lady and her grandchildren summing it up for me - holidaying in Blackpool from the south of England she remarked ‘London quality with Blackpool prices, what great value!’

Grease The Musical is on until Saturday August 24.