Legally Blonde musical reviews – what did critics make of the new revival?

Reviews have dropped for Legally Blonde at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London – what did the critics make of it?

Based on the hit 2001 movie of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde The Musical tells the story of sorority girl Elle Woods who heads to Harvard Law School in a bid to win back her boyfriend, defying expectations to prove you can be both smart and fashionable.

The new revival production opened at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre this May, directed by SIX’s Lucy Moss with a cast led by Courtney Bowman.

So what did the critics think?

Legally Blonde London reviews

The Stage – 4/5
“Lucy Moss’ revamp of the hit 2001 film is an unrestrained, over-the-top celebration of diversity that is so ridiculous that it’s hard not to be won over” – Read the full review

WhatsOnStage – 5/5
“The easy, good-hearted inclusivity of the production, its sheer pleasure in its own sense of fun, means it gets away with numbers such as the hilarious ‘Gay or European’ without a hint of being patronising or dismissive… On its own terms, the whole thing succeeds with magnificent, all-embracing confidence.” – Read the full review

The Times – 4/5
“If watching the Reese Witherspoon comedy, now more than two decades old, was one of your coming-of-age rituals, you may be thrown — at first, anyway — by this audacious musical revival directed by Lucy Moss, co-creator of that all-conquering Tudor history show, Six… Go with an open mind and you’ll be blown away.” – Read the full review

London Evening Standard- 3/5
“There’s some killer choreography, plenty of laughs and lots of you-go-girl affirmation. The latest of this venue’s bold, scrappy musical reinventions is hugely enjoyable, though parts of it still land oddly.” – Read the full review

TimeOut – 3/5
“Directed by Lucy Moss – who did the honours for sleeper West End smash ‘Six’ – this revival of ‘Legally Blonde’ feels less like an update of the 2007 musical, more like a bizarre fever dream about it.” – Read the full review

Guardian – 4/5
“An overhaul of the original’s gender politics, plenty of Gen-Z touchpoints and a big dollop of kitsch make this musical an irresistible cocktail.” – Read the full review

BroadwayWorld – 3/5
“Legally Blonde is a show that calls for a certain kind of OTT quality and this doesn’t entirely bring it to the table. Elle Woods is anything but cheap. Did all the budget go into the costumes and the bathtub scene in the second act? We shall never know. What we know is that, while the material remains a banger, this candy floss revival bends but doesn’t fully snap.” – Read the full review

Legally Blonde plays Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London currently booking through to 2 July 2022.

Book Legally Blonde London tickets here »

The standard performance schedule is Monday-Saturday at 7:45PM with 2:15PM matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays.