Ella Silver is a fun and fiesty Kinkell Woods in Seagully Blonde at His Majesty's. Image - Aberdeen Student Show
The annual treat that is the Aberdeen Student Show is legendary for its hilarious titles playing on popular movies – and Seagully Blonde is simply genius.
The same can be said for the whole show, in fact, which is a riotous Doric romp packed with music, dance, spectacle, belly laughs, and all firmly rooted in a love of Aberdeen and the north-east.
It’s cleverly written, beautifully staged, and brilliantly performed – you forget those are students on the His Majesty’s Theatre stage.
Riffing on its source material (Legally Blonde, duh), Seagully Blonde follows Kinkell Woods – Elle to her pals – as she leaves Fraserburgh for a law course at the University of Aberdeen to win back the boyfriend who dumped her, one Anton Deck, no less.
The result is a two-hour caper that has you grinning from the opening “phones awa’” announcement to the glorious finale that had everyone on their feet cheering and clapping.
This student show – now in its 103rd year – is very much a Granite City tradition that brings with it the same warmth, fun and sense of community as that other great institution, the HMT panto.
Song and dance is at the heart of Seagully Blonde along with non-stop laughter. Image - Aberdeen Student Show.
Local references abound – on this outing the Broch gets as much of an airing as the ‘Deen, slipping in references to Wimpy plus a rousing chorus line of “Fraserburgh... it’s like a happy Peterheid”.
There are in-jokes, clever word play (TikTok or TicTac, anyone), and malapropisms (“Sorry, your magician”... “it’s your majesty) plus rousing songs that give iconic pop hits that unique student show twist.
Put it this way, Kelly Clarkson’s mega-smash Since You’ve Been Gone has now been completely overwritten in my head as Seagully Blonde.
It’s a production full of stand-out moments, such as a raunchy Rocky Horror number to introduce the very boo-hissable law lecturer Professor Calaholmes, and a take on Cell Block Tango – Peterhead Prison Tango – that is a genuine showstopper which will change Chicago for you forever.
You can tell that so much creative talent has honed Seagully Blonde to a fine razor-sharp edge of wit, from the huge song and dance routines – it’s a big cast – to little touches such as having the ensemble play out mini scenes behind the main action. Keep an eye on the chavs. You’ll thank me.
The ensemble cast of Seagully Blonde play a blinder. Image - Aberdeen Student Show
Seagully Blonde also puts some incredible talent front and centre of the HMT stage.
Ella Silver is an outstanding fiesty and determined Elle, while Conor McGarry plays a blinder as the villainous Calaholmes – he should get a degree for perfecting the condescending sneer on stage.
Amanda Haggart is the big heart of the piece as Grunnie Pig, dispensing wisdom and comfort and appalling mispronunciations along the way.
Meanwhile, Emmah Chibesakunda as Boozer the seagull all but steals the show – along with a few chips. Using some excellent puppetry skills - a la Avenue Q – she brings the talking scurry to life and has some of the best one-liners in the show.
It’s a performance so skilled and engaging you would be forgiven for believing Emmah is a professional actor masquerading as a psychology student.
What you can be sure of is that Seagully Blonde is a joyous night at His Majesty’s - that raises so much money for good causes - and you really don’t want to miss out.
Review by Scott Begbie