Curtain up for Legally Blonde

Opening night is an exciting and nerve-wracking time, and tonight is a triple the fun for the self-styled "Scouse Mafia" taking to the Empire stage for their first home town performance of Legally Blonde. Our own Les Dennis, Claire Sweeney and Ray Quinn along with new pal Sharpie the bulldog have been meeting the press today ahead of curtain up for their city run. Dennis and Quinn only joined the production last week, while Sweeney returns to reprise a role she has previously played. Dennis, who plays Professor Callaghan, says a Liverpool audience is always great to come back to, especially with friends in tow. He says: "Legally Blonde is a great show, akin somewhat to Hairspray [in which he also starred], that feelgood morality tale about this girl who follows her heart. People can identify with the original film, and when I saw the film myself I saw how it could really have legs as a musical, if they got it right and the music tells a story. And in this case the book and the score really do make it work. "I'm playing a bad guy and that's nice to do, and it's lovely to be back with my mates. Every time I come back to the Empire I'm reminded of when I was a kid and I came here to watch pantos... it reminds me that I've achieved a dream." Similarly, Ray Quinn (last seen on the Empire stage last year as Danny in Grease) is also keen to play the bad guy for a change as rich kid Warner, and is excited to test out the new role in front of a home audience. He said: "I've never seen the film and in a way I don't want to. After I saw the show, it just blew me away. Warner is a great role for me and a chance to do some 'serious' acting again, I'm really excited to be doing it." Legally Blonde runs at the Liverpool Empire until February 11.