Critics savage Grease as reality television winners take to stage

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A cheering crowd greeted the lead performers Susan McFadden and Danny Bayne, who shot to fame on ITV's Grease Is The Word, on their debut night but reviewers have largely slammed the musical's latest stage incarnation.

While the Daily Mail's reviewer Robert Gore-Lang admitted the musical was "pure cheeseburger," he was still charmed by the performance, calling it "at best good fun." Others were less kind.

The Evening Standard's Nicholas De Jongh began his scathing review by describing the show as "under-sexed, how under-done and under par," while Michael Billington of the The Guardian wrote: "If you want proof of the imaginative poverty of the West End today, you need look no further than Grease."

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Charisma in the word: Danny Bayne as Danny Zuko and Susan McFadden as Sandy were chosen by ITV viewers to star in the new production of Grease at London's Picadilly

The sentiment was echoed by Sam Marlowe at The Times who opined: "At no point do we care one iota what becomes of any of them or their teen romances."

The Daily Telegraph's Sarah Crompton was also unimpressed by the lead performers: "Bayne makes John Travolta look like Olivier, substituting a twitch of the collar and a curl of the lip for anything approaching acting.

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Drive-in: Bayne and McFadden arrive at the first-night party at Floridita in the capital's West End in a pink cadillac

"McFadden has a sweet smile and strong voice, unfortunately she belts out every ballad as if it were karaoke night."

"Predictable, pedestrian and painfully bereft of originality," was Bill Hagerty's assessment in his critique in The Sun, noting his disappointment at the over-powering sound of the eight-piece band.

He concluded: "Grease just isn't the word — but loud is."

After his performance, Bayne revealed he would be reading reviews of the show. He said: "I think it's only natural. I'd like to know everyone's opinion."

A decision he's now probably regretting.