WHEN Sally Sawdon donated her four-door Renault Clio named Lulu to Flying Ducks Youth Theatre, little did she know what was to become of her car.

York set builder Stephen Outhwaite was adamant he wanted a “real” car for this week’s musical production of Grease and Lulu has duly undergone a transformation.

“The iconic scene where the T-Birds sing Greased Lightning is the set builder’s opportunity to produce a ‘wow’ from the audience when the car appears,” says Stephen.

His vision was brought to life after commissioning retired Minster Engineers engineer Sam Seago to customise and coordinate the build of the car with metal supplies from his former employers.

“It was stripped of all its components by Wrigglesworth garage, before being cut in half, shortened both in length and width, then welded back together,” says Stephen. “FR Pulleyn’s garage professionally resprayed it in red and Sam began to make the additional metal work.”

The Greased Lightning scene opens with a run-down car being worked on in the garage by the mechanics. The vehicle is then transformed as the distressed pieces of the body are replaced with shiny new ones during the dreamscene song-and-dance sequence.

Flying Ducks’ Grease will run at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, from tonight until Saturday at 7.30pm nightly plus a 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets are available from Michael Whyte on 01904 768963 or the York Theatre Royal box office, 01904 623568.