Originally a book, then a film starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde tells the story of plucky, positive and pink-obsessed Elle Woods as she turns from sorority sister to Harvard Law School star - and busts plenty of stereotypes along the way. The stage adaptation of the story, Legally Blonde: The Musical, is now touring the nation, with ex-Love Islander Amber Davies in the lead role. Amber - and cast-mates George Crawford and Karen Mavundukure - here explain to What’s On what it takes to bring Elle’s uplifting story to the stage...

Legally Blonde: The Musical has taken audiences by storm since first hitting the stage in 2007. This month sees a brand-new touring production making its way to Birmingham’s The Alexandra, with Amber Davies, George Crawford and Karen Mavundukure taking on the roles of Elle, Emmett and Paulette respectively.
Amber, who was born and raised in Denbigh, North Wales, and moved to London at the age of 16, would sing along to the Legally Blonde: The Musical cast album any chance she got. Now, she’s stepping into the fashionable shoes of Elle Woods...

“I feel like the role has come into my life at a good time,” she says. “You need stamina and life knowledge for a part like this, so now is the perfect time for me to play her. If it had come any earlier, I would have been too young.”

Now 29, the former Love Island star-turned-actress and Strictly Come Dancing contestant is thrilled to be taking on what she calls ‘one of the biggest female roles in musical theatre’. She's adding Elle to an acting roster that includes Judy Bernly in 9 To 5: The Musical, Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.

“[Elle is] a force to be reckoned with,” says Amber. “She's beautiful, but she's also intelligent - and women can be both things at the same time. She's a firecracker.”

Like Amanda Brown's novel of the same name, and the iconic 2001 film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon, the show follows Elle's transformation from 'It Girl' fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School. 

Asked if it's daunting following in the footsteps of Witherspoon in the movie, and the likes of Sheridan Smith in the musical, Amber sees it as more of an honour and a challenge: “It's inspiring to follow in their footsteps, but while I’ve seen so many different versions of Elle and loved every single one, I'm thinking, 'What can I do differently to put my own stamp on it?’”

Legally Blonde is the ultimate feelgood show, but Amber says there's a strong, powerful message amidst all the fun: “It's as simple as 'Don't judge a book by its cover.’ It's such a funny story, but it's got heart too, and I really want audiences to feel for Elle when they come to see it.”

At Harvard, Elle meets third-year student & teaching assistant Emmett, who is as helpful towards her as most of her classmates are dismissive. George Crawford plays Emmett in the show

“He sees that there's so much more to her than meets the eye,” says George. “He sees the strength in her honesty and bubbliness, and eventually a relationship blossoms… He's a lot more laid-back and introverted than the pink energy that surrounds him.

“Emmett has always been played as written - which is quirky and a nice guy - but he sings about having grown up in the Roxbury slums, which is one of the most crime-heavy and rundown parts of America. He's worked so hard - from having nothing, to being at the most prestigious law school in the country. He's put in the graft, and it's interesting to explore that side of him. For Emmett, it's about pushing through class barriers. For Elle, it's about pushing through prejudice. They really help one another.”

The production puts a new spin on Legally Blonde, by setting it in the present day rather than in the early 2000s when the film came out. 

“It's still the Legally Blonde that everyone knows and expects,” George says, “but it has a more contemporary feel to it. That's done through the fantastic sets and costumes, as well as little touches like Elle using Apple Pay instead of cash.”

George played Mr McKee and covered for Nick in The Great Gatsby - so Legally Blonde marks a reunion for him and Amber. 

“We've already got good chemistry from working together in that show,” he says, “so working opposite each other again just feels natural. That really helps with the story arc that both of these characters go through together. It feels organic.”

On the other hand, for Karen Mavundukure, Legally Blonde is a sharp pivot from her recent stint in the Stranger Things: The First Shadow stage play. She plays Paulette, the hair-salon owner who supports Elle when she contemplates switching from being a blonde to a brunette. Sassy and straight-talking, Paulette encourages Elle to be her authentic self.

"I've gone from darkness to a world of pink," Karen says, in talking about taking on the part famously played in the film by Jennifer Coolidge. “It's an honour, because it really is one of the best and most captivating of musicals… Paulette’s the comedy relief whenever things get a bit serious - but she also mirrors Elle's journey towards self-confidence. There's a commonality to their struggles. Paulette has just come out of a toxic relationship, but she's still pushing ahead with her dreams. She encourages Elle to keep going because she believes Elle can achieve her dreams, too.

“This is nothing like I've ever done before. With Paulette, the challenge is that she's such a well-known character from the movie and previous stage versions, so I want to bring out the elements of her that you don't really see at first glance. In this production, as in a few before, she's an African American, and she has a history that's informed the way she now attacks life head on.”

Karen’s time in the role would be incomplete without the addition of the legendary and flirtatious move that Elle teaches Paulette: Bend... and Snap! Given that this is a musical, the move not surprisingly gets its very own number...

“It's so much fun!” Karen beams. “When we first rehearsed it, we spent the whole day in fits of laughter. I'm a bend-and-snap professional now!”

Legally Blonde: The Musical visits Birmingham’s The Alexandra from Tuesday 31 March to Saturday 4 April. The production then returns to the Midlands in the autumn, showing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October, and the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 November.