It’s time to dust off your leather jacket, pull on your bobby socks, throw your mittens around your kittens and hand jive the night away – Grease is coming to the Pump House in Watford.

Fifteen-year-old Oxhey schoolgirl Ellie Barrett is playing the part of Frenchie and, like her fellow Pump House actors, is very excited with just a week to go until opening night.

“It’s quite stressful in rehearsals because everyone’s realising it’s so close,“ says the pupil of St Margaret’s in Bushey, “but it’s actually going really well. The dances are getting there and now people are putting on their wigs and make-up and costumes, it’s all coming together."

As well as the other young actors in the production, Ellie is getting by with a little help from her friends and family – mum Katie is woking on the props, dad Adrian will be taking the photographs, little brother Tom, 12, who is a member of the children’s theatre group at the Pump House, will be on-hand to provide moral support, and grandma Julie is doing the costumes.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Lucy Dorey, is such a big fan of the film that she begged to be allowed to help with the actors’ hair, even though she’s not a member of the company.

And Ellie’s friends and family aren’t the only ones.

“Lots of other mums and dads get involved too,“ says Ellie, “it’s really nice. The whole thing with the Pump House is that we’re a big family. I’ve been a member since I was eight, so we’ve all known each other since we were small, we’ve grown up together – we see each other every week and have become best friends.“

Ellie has had a very busy time of late – she has been fitting in rehearsals for Grease around her revision schedule and exams for her mock GCSEs, which she, thankfully, finished last week and now she is looking forward to letting her hair down in the seven performances which begin next weekend.

“The songs are amazing, it’s so much fun to do them, and the acting is really good, and the dancing – I love everything about it, really!“ she laughs. “Everyone should come and see it, it’s going to be worth it!“

  • Grease is at Pump House Youth Theatre, Local Board Road, Lower High Street, Watford January 24 and 25 at 7.30pm, January 29, 30 and 31 at 7.30pm, and February 1 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Details: 0844 8700 887, pumphouse.info/cyt