Legally Blonde returns to Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre

One of the most successful musicals of the past decade will bring music and laughter to Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre during the next week.

Legally Blonde The Musical runs from today until Thursday, with evening performances on each day and matinees on Wednesday and Thursday.

The all-singing, all-dancing romantic comedy has won seven major awards including Best Musical 2011 (Olivier Awards).

Its central character is Elle Woods, a woman who believes she can handle anything. When her boyfriend, Warner, dumps her she decides to follow him to Harvard Law School and win him back.

With some help from new-found friends Paulette and Emmett and her chihuahua Bruiser, she learns that it's so much better to be smart.

Legally Blonde is directed by Tony and Olivier-Award winning Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray) and has been described as being the funniest and most fabulous musical around.

The current tour stars former Pop Idol contestant Gareth Gates as Warner and ex-Brookside actress and former Dancing On Ice star Jennifer Ellison as Elle's kooky pal Paulette.

Jennifer said: "This is one of the best roles in the musical, she goes on such a journey, the audience really warms to her and it is an amazing chance as an actress.

"She is really the underdog and the person people want to see succeed."

Jennifer rose to prominence playing Emily Shadwick in the television soap opera Brookside and secured her place as a household name by playing Meg Giry in The Phantom of the Opera.

Gareth Gates, meanwhile, will play the role of Warner. The former Pop Idol runner up has done a string of musical theatre in recent years including Les Miserables. He said: "Music has always been very important to me; I grew up with a terrible stammer, never being able to express myself through speech, so I would use music as my form of expression.

"I would sit at my piano or pick up a guitar and sing what was inside me, so it's always been very important and it still is today.

"For the past few years I've been involved with musical theatre; I'm currently in Legally Blonde and I'm loving that side of performing."

Legally Blonde has won rave reviews from critics. The show hit Broadway in 2007, earning seven Tony Award nominations, 10 Drama Desk Award nominations and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

The show also ranked in the top 10 for the most requested Ticketmaster Arts & Theatre Events for 2007.

There are 18 songs in the show and Elle sings 16 of them as well as having 19 costume changes. The production was made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon and the closing scene of the graduation was filmed at the Great Hall of Dulwich College in London because Reese was in England filming.

The scene needed to be re-shot so they did so with the London College standing in for Harvard Law School.

The production will also feature Faye Brookes as Elle Woods.

Faye graduated from Guildford School Of Acting with a BA (hons) Degree in Musical Theatre and was awarded the Principle's Choice Award.

Before graduating she made her West End Debut in the musical Grease as Frenchy and played the role of Sandy.

Iwan Lewis will play Emmett Forest, having just finished playing the role of Lemar in Godspell at the Union Theatre.

Legally Blonde The Musical runs at Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre from Tuesday until Saturday, September 1. Show times are daily at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee on Wednesday and Saturday.

Ticket prices range from £12 to £45. For tickets call 0844 871 3011 or visit www.atgtickets.com