The musical follows the inspiring character of Elle Woods
Lucie Jones previously starred as Elle Woods when the show last came to the Liverpool Empire Theatre(Image: Robert Woerkman)
A new UK tour of Legally Blonde has been announced, and it’s making a pitstop in Liverpool. The musical follows the inspiring Elle Woods, a determined Harvard Law School graduate who defies societal expectations.
Based on the Amanda Browning novel and the 2000s classic of the same name, audience members can expect to watch Elle as she tackles negative stereotypes, sexism, snobbery, and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Following its Broadway debut in 2007 and West End premiere in 2010, the show went on to win four WhatsOnStage Awards and three Olivier Awards.
A successful revival began at Curve in Leicester before touring. It was last seen in the UK at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2022, where it won another award.
This new production, directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster and produced by Curve and ROYO, will premiere in Leicester in 2026 and tour the UK until 2027. It will come to the Empire Theatre on April 14, 2026, for a four-night stint.
Courtney Bowman with the award for Best Performer in a Musical for Legally Blonde during the WhatsOnStage Awards at the Prince Of Wales Theatre, London. (Image: Ian West/PA Wire)
Curve’s chief executive, Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster stated: “Legally Blonde is firmly established in the musical theatre repertoire as a contemporary classic, and it’s a pleasure to be reunited with ‘Little Miss Woods – comma – Elle’ in the 2020s.”
Although the full cast and creative team have yet to be announced, music and lyrics have been done by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and the book by Heather Hach.
Chris and Nikolai added: “Laurence, Nell and Heather’s electrifying musical about empowerment, equality and the folly of judging a book by its cover remains pitch perfect and as relevant as ever.
“We have assembled a ‘mad props’ creative team and together we are looking forward to creating a fresh, fun and sunny SoCal production of this great musical.”
Diane Belding, Theatre Director at The Empire as it celebrates 100 years(Image: Andrew Teebay)
The news comes after the Empire Theatre told the ECHO it was thriving. Theatre director Diane Belding has enjoyed working in the industry in every possible job role it has to offer. Since beginning her career three decades ago, she’s worked front-of-house, as an assistant, in the box office and even indulged in the technical side of things.
However, the 60-year-old, living in Grimsby, said the industry is currently at its best. She said: “Liverpool has a traditional theatre set up, and that’s what attracted me. It’s a beautiful city with an iconic theatre. It was a pinnacle moment of my career to come here and get my role back in 2012.
“We need to look at the bigger picture, and that is, this is our 100th birthday year. We’ve had this vision for some time now that we wanted to make this a really spectacular year for the city and for our programme. It’s been in the works for years now.
“The theatre industry is doing well, and thanks has to be given to the people of Liverpool. The people in the city are really keen and passionate about cultural and live entertainment, and they have supported us every step and every show of the way.
The Empire has had an impressive line-up of award-winning shows as of late(Image: Andrew Teebay)
“We’ve built such a strong relationship with first-class producers. People like Cameron Mackintosh, Disney, and Andrew Lloyd Webber all have great reputations with us.
“They trust us, and they know the Liverpool audience will deliver. They have such confidence in us, and this is how you end up with the likes of Hamilton for five weeks. We have been surpassing their expectations over the last few years.
“Each audience member contributes to the overall experience of the show, and that’s what a producer wants. They are very aware that Liverpool audiences are second to none – they are kind, responsive, and always come with a warm welcome. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”