High School Musical has been brought to life on stage at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre – totally not my thing but I couldn’t fault it!
THE STORY
High School Musical follows Troy Bolton (originally played by Zac Efron in the 2006 film), East High’s golden-boy basketball captain, and Gabriella Montez, a shy, brilliant new student. They meet over New Year’s Eve karaoke on a ski holiday, where they’re pushed on stage to sing together. When Gabriella transfers to East High, they’re reunited, and Troy is shocked to find the connection is still there.
The two decide to audition for the school’s winter musical, which sets the whole school against them. Everyone at East High has a place: the jocks, the brainiacs, the drama kids. Troy’s basketball teammates and his dad, who is also the coach, feel he’s betraying the team. Gabriella’s fellow “brainiacs” feel she’s neglecting her place on the academic decathlon team. Meanwhile, theatre queen Sharpay Evans and her twin brother Ryan, who’ve always led the school musicals, are furious that newcomers are threatening their spots. Sharpay plots to sabotage the pair by scheduling the callback to clash with the big basketball game and the decathlon.
The plan works, at least for a while, and Troy and Gabriella are almost torn apart. But they get a second chance with a callback, their friends rally round, and Troy realises he can be a basketball star and a singer. Troy and Gabriella win the lead roles and the school’s respect, and the story ends with the whole school coming together in a big celebration number, “We’re All in This Together”.
The theme is that you don’t have to stay inside the box other people put you in. It’s also the reason the stage version works so well, with its mix of teen romance, comedy and big song-and-dance numbers.
Join Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High as they navigate first love, friendships and self-discovery, all while juggling classes, basketball games, auditions and the expectations of their peers.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic film (which I have never seen) HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL features classic songs such as: Breaking Free, Get’cha Head in the Game, Stick to the Status Quo and the one song I did know, We’re All In This Together.
THE CAST
McFly’s Harry Judd stars as Coach Bolton. It’s a fairly minor role, but it’s fine for stunt casting and he does the job well, whilst star of the original High School Musical film, KayCee Stroh, is hilarious as Ms Darbus.
Tobias Turley as Troy Bolton and Leonor Correia as Gabriella Montez are a nice, believable pairing, but the stars of the show have to be Caitlin Tipping as Sharpay Evans and Luke Bayer as Ryan Evans, the deliciously overdramatic twins who rule the school.
Other starring roles include Char Burnett as Taylor McKessie, Jordan Benjamin as Chad Danforth, Simeon Beckett as Zeke Baylor, Olivia O’Connor as Martha Cox, Yna Tresvalles as Kelsi Nielsen and Curtis Patrick as Jack Scott.
The cast is completed by Alexander Black, Eleanor Bye, Harriet Caplan-Dean, Alison Driver, Conor Luke Drury, Mary Francis, Sonia Gil-Lubeiro, Tamsin January, Joseph Lennox, Lucas Morlotti, Katie Mulligan, André Phipps, Meg Silsby, Kade Stenson, Ethan Vijn and Eddie Zickerman.
IS IT WORTH SEEING?
Yes! It’s totally not my kind of show, with all the audience participation and learning the cheer dances, but this is undeniably a brilliant production with a sincere message at its heart. The auditorium is made to look like a basketball hall, and the set design and lighting really make you feel like you’re at an American sporting event. They even sell popcorn up and down the aisles.
The cast are all brilliant and certainly get their steps in, appearing randomly throughout the audience in what must be an exhausting sprint to get there. I needed a rest just watching this incredibly hardworking group of actors dance and sing.
If you like the film, you’re sure to love the stage show and I had a nice time watching it but as a forty-four year old man, I don’t think I’ll be rushing back – but I am totally not the target audience for this show and I must bear that in mind when reviewing and I couldn’t fault it!
★★★★★
Reviewed by West End Wilma
Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL running at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre until 3 January 2027.
