The 2001 Reese Witherspoon classic Legally Blonde will be performed by the group - with the full cast list for the production released on Tuesday, June 21.

Cloe Findlay will be taking the leading role as Elle Woods alongside Jed Prouse, who will play Elle's love interest Emmett Forrest.

This comes after the Arts Council finished up its first theatre performance of the year, its Broadway Showcase, which was held at the Horsham Town Hall from May 19 to 22.

Using the momentum of the group's past stage success, Legally Blonde director Erin Boutcher said the Arts Council committee began work on the new project almost immediately.

"We have had a really fast turnaround. Our team was selected and then a week later we put out an information pack," she said.

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"We had a week to get ready for auditions and then we started on Tuesday last week. Dance auditions on Wednesday and callbacks on Sunday."

For the Legally Blonde show, the committee at Horsham Arts Council adopted a different approach to beginning a production - selecting from a list of 12 potential ideas and then taking applications for roles in the production.

Ms Boutcher said she was keen to sink her teeth into Legally Blonde due to its uplifting qualities.

"I think for me, Legally Blonde is such a fun, high-energy and uplifting show, I just think that it is right for now. Especially after COVID," she said.

If you have seen the movie you know the story. It is high-energy, it is fun, it is pink, it is bubbly, but it also tells Elle's story and her transformation.

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"She follows a guy to Harvard and ends up finding herself. It is a good post-COVID show that I think audiences will love."

For Ms Findlay, the role of Elle Woods was somewhat of a dream come true.

Beyond her acting career, Ms Findlay works as a technical assistant for the field crops pathology team at the Horsham Grains Innovation Park.

She said the story of Legally Blonde, and its story of a woman finding success in a male-dominated industry resonated with her.

"It is almost like a dream come true in some ways. Growing up and watching the films, I watched them often in my childhood, and it was bizarre for a fictional character to be such a role model," she said.

"That is exactly what she was, and it was one of the reasons I felt confident enough to get into STEM and be in agriculture, which is a traditionally male-dominated industry.

"I think breaking down the stereotypes about how your appearance does not determine your intelligence. I think I related very strongly to that with Elle.

"I wish to be more like Elle, so it is amazing to be in her shoes and to be playing this role. It is an absolute privilege and a joy."

Horsham Arts Council's production of Legally Blonde will be at the Horsham Town Hall from nine shows across October 9 to October 22.

For more information, visit the Horsham Arts Council Facebook page.

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