Jim Jacobs

Jocasta Almgill, who has a lead role, as Rizzo, in London 's revamped stage return of Grease, is fiercely proud to be one of its " three black Pink Ladies".

The original 1978 hit film, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta , definitely did not have a diverse cast.

And Almgill tells Bbc News : " We have three black Pink Ladies, which is the First Time ever - That 's iconic. "

The Musical , back in The West End after 15 years, has also been updated to include same-sex dancing and " empowered" female characters.

Grease is About Us teenagers in the 1950s, with a summer romance between " Good Girl Sandy and greaser Danny" becoming complicated when they end up in the same High School .

It is based on a 1971 rock'n'roll show, which went on to receive seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway .

wrote, Last Year : " Though its box-office total is inflated somewhat by a re-release, Grease still holds up not just As One of The Best musicals of The Last 40 Years but also The Most successful (certainly given inflation). "

Almgill's role, played by Stockard Channing in The Film , involves some pretty emotionally charged scenes.

Being a bit older than some of The Cast helps her give Rizzo " gravitas and strength" she says.

But aside from age and experience, The Actress is very clear about what else she is bringing to this role.

" I'm a black woman - so it's important to use That in The Play , " she says.

" As an actor, you use your traits, the things you can harness, and you can sprinkle them in when necessary.

" But my blackness is something That we can't just sprinkle in and Out - it is there, present.

" It is important That it's acknowledged. "

But since our interview, reports have emerged of racist trolls commenting on The Show 's casting.

Peter Andre , who plays Vince Fontaine , shared a post from The Show 's producers and hit back at the " ignorant person".

Almgill responded: " Love you Pete" and shared a screenshot on her Instagram stories from & Juliet performer, saying: " It is absolutely about reinserting people of colour into the retelling of stories, thus into the history That we were forcibly removed from.

" If your brain can stretch to a green ogre singing a Love Song [in Shrek], I surely hope it can stretch to Black People Being Alive in the 50s. "

The Show 's choreographer, former Strictly judge Dame Arlene Phillips , " Our beautiful and brilliant performers being hurt in this despicable way is sickening.

" We stand together, we go together.

" Come and see for yourselves. "

Editor Suzy Evans told Bbc News : " It's very important to prioritise diverse casting for new and existing shows.

" Creating space and opportunities for performers from different backgrounds lets audiences see shows in a new way and relate to varied experiences and perspectives.

" The World has changed significantly since shows like Grease premiered and revivals should be updated to reflect The Present day, as Grease has done.

" Representation and inclusion are pillars of The Theatre community and art is fundamental to Social Change . "

Dame Arlene, who Last Year , is clearly back in her comfort zone with The Show and is keen to highlight how it has evolved.

Last Year , reported when The Film was shown on The Bbc , some viewers " cringed" and called it " sexist" noting its lack of Diversity .

called it a" horribly sexist movie".

Sandy's transformation - from wallflower to vamp, to win Her Man - May not appeal to audiences The Way it once did.

But Dame Arlene says: " Our version is a very diverse, very real Grease For Today .

" It's different from The Film . "

Much of The Work on rethinking it was done three years ago, she says, when it was picked up by director Nikolai Foster , initially for Leicester's Curve Theatre .

It is Now set in Chicago rather than California, harking back to the original stage play by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey , with producers calling it " grittier" than The Film .

Dame Arlene says Foster " went right back to the original story and songs" reshaping it to " empower" The Women .

" Sandy is empowered because she absolutely makes a choice to become who she wants to be - and decides if Danny is The One she wants, " she tells Bbc News .

But some aspects of The Show have arguably aged less well.

In The Song Summer Nights , Danny's friends ask him about his affair with Sandy, saying: " Did she put up a fight? "

The Men 's lines in Summer Nights are " totally blokey" Dame Arlene says.

But " within the piece, Our Guys realise they're not running The Show ".

Dan Partridge, who plays Danny, says: " We still wanted to show the toxic masculinity of these guys.

" These boys are Growing Up .

" We haven't wanted to completely whitewash it and soften it all. "

And when audiences hear the lyrics, they will " leave The Theatre talking about it" a " good thing".

Dame Arlene is also keen to stress The Musical 's social context.

Most of the characters were " sons and daughters of blue-collar workers" expected to start a job as soon as they left school, she says.

Many would " hide their intelligence" putting their energies into rockabilly and entering dance competitions to win vouchers for food and drinks.

" They worked hard, like the younger generation with hip-hop, and breakdancing from The Streets , " Dame Arlene says.

Almgill calls aspects of the storyline " quite misogynistic" but says The Cast talked " a lot about How To navigate Sandy's transformation".

And Olivia Moore, who plays Sandy, does a " really good job of showing Danny That if he wants her, he's going to have to work for it".

Moore tells Bbc News Sandy becomes " a goddess who has so much confidence".

" We're highlighting you can be who you want to be, " she says.

But why would people want to come and see Grease, instead of a new show?

" London is ready to spend a night in The Theatre , " Dame Arlene says.

" People have been isolated, so coming together and watching something That is possibly familiar is like a warm blanket. "

Almgill says: " People love it because of relatability - we've all been teenagers and had That first crush or felt ostracised - and the songs are great, with some real, emotional moments. "

Evans says: " The Reason to produce a revival is because That particular show has something to say about our current moment.

" Grease is being updated to give The Women more agency and make The Story more relevant For Today 's audiences.

" There are so many great revivals to see in London right Now - and productions of Oklahoma! and My Fair Lady also shine a new light on a classic work. "

Despite her long and successful career, Dame Arlene is still delighted to be learning new skills.

Her Time In the cold, Welsh I'm a Celebrity castle was " really interesting because of how much I found Out about myself" she says.

She also discovered a surprise benefit, which went down well with the Grease cast.

" The Other day, there was a huge spider walking on The Wall and everyone was screaming and I went [she makes a grabbing movement with her hand] and picked it up, " Dame Arlene says.

" I could never have done That before.

" But learning about myself isn't what I was supposed to be doing - I was supposed to be entertaining, " she says of her Time In The Castle .

" I just Hope I didn't fail The Show in the entertainment stakes. "

Source of news: bbc.com