SUMMER LOVIN’
GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES Four teens are hopelessly devoted to Rydell High.
Prepare for lashings of nostalgia in the quiff-heavy prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Set four years before the events of the much-loved musical movie, the show’s story follows four teenage misfits at Rydell High who join forces to form the original 50s girl gang, the Pink Ladies.
It’s been 45 years since John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John shimmied their way on to the big screen in Grease, but the television prequel is packed with nifty nods to its electrifying movie predecessor. There’s high-school angst, summer lovin’ and T-Birds, as well as 30 original songs and cleverly choreographed musical numbers.
Despite being a big fan of the 1978 movie (and the 1971 stage musical that came before it), the series’ showrunner, executive producer, writer and director Annabel Oakes was initially sceptical about signing up to create a Grease show for television. ‘I thought to myself, “Nobody needs another Grease,”’ she explains. ‘Grease is absolutely perfect. It’s an important part of mine and so many people’s childhoods. I wasn’t interested in dragging it down!’
However, the more the project percolated, the more interested Oakes
became. ‘I thought about how much the movie meant to me as a kid and how it connected me with other generations of my family,’ she continues. ‘Then I started to wonder about the unanswered questions from Grease. The beautiful story of Sandy and Danny was tied up nicely, but I always did love those Pink Ladies and I really wanted to experience that sleepover in Frenchy’s bedroom.’
The research process was equally compelling for the showrunner, who spoke to friends and relatives with first-hand experience of the 50s and 60s. ‘I started to get these amazing, beautiful, unexpected stories from people of all different walks of life,’ reveals Oakes. ‘And then, when I got a writers’ room, we all started talking to everybody’s grandmas, aunties and uncles. We got really excited about the possibilities of returning to the world of Grease to tell these stories.’
Fast forward a few years and the 10-part series is now primed and ready to premiere, complete with tons of toetappingly addictive musical numbers. ‘They are showstopping, phenomenal,’ enthuses Marisa Davila, who plays Jane. ‘As a lover of theatre and musicals, I’m really excited about what we get to give to other theatre kids out there.’
Davila confirms that modern audiences can expect storylines filled with themes that are relevant to today. ‘All our characters go through the classic [drama of] high school,’ explains the actress. ‘There’s all this hype. There are rumours. They are slut-shamed. It’s not different because it’s the 50s. Unfortunately, it’s the exact same environment.’
‘I wanted to experience that sleepover in Frenchy’s bedroom’ ANNABEL OAKES
GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES STREAMS ON PARAMOUNT+ FROM 7 APRIL.