This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour saw School Of Rock The Musical by arrangement with Wolverhampton Grand.
By Julie Wallis twitter.com/NiceNic63
Review: School of Rock at Wolverhampton Grand
Directed by Laurence Connor, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, book by Julian Fellowes, lyrics by Glenn Slater
School of Rock is at Wolverhampton Grand until Saturday 25th September, blasting its way through two hours of on stage fun and frolics. It’s Earth-shattering fun!
Based on the movie of the same name, School of Rock tells the story of Dewey Finn (Jake Sharp) a lazy manchild who still shares a room with his best friend Ned Schneebly (Matthew Roland) and Ned’s girlfriend Rosalie (Rebecca Lock).
Unemployed and behind on his rent Dewey takes a job as a teacher. A job he is absolutely 100% unqualified for but it does pay well and the fact that Dewey is posing as Ned to fraudulently take the job seems to be a minor detail. Dewey still posing as Ned decides to enter his pupils into a battle of the bands, Dewey inspires his charges through the medium of music, he believes in them when their parents don’t and of course, everyone learns valuable lessons.
Uplifting and energetic, I’m not ashamed to say I laughed, I cried happy tears and I wept. What a melting pot of emotions.
Everyone on stage last night was absolutely phenomenal, not a word I use lightly. I could easily fill 400 words telling you how great Jake Sharp was in the role made famous by Jack Black or how Ned’s girlfriend (played by Rebecca Lock) actually got booed for being so fantastic in her role as straight-laced and uptight Rosalie.
But let’s not beat about the Bush. School of Rock is about the kids. Last night those kids were amazing. Energetic, talented. Did I tell you they all play their own instruments?!? Yes, they do and when you see a tiny tot of a girl playing the cello then later a bass guitar that’s as big as she is, or you hear Tomika sing her solo for the first time with a voice as clear as a bell you will agree that this is a phenomenon too.
This stage play is fast-paced, the sets change frequently and swiftly. The lighting is worthy of any concert and it’s good to be back in live theatre. If you want to support live theatre after a pretty barren 18+ months, then School of Rock is a wonderful choice. Even though I was aware of the movie, I’ve never actually watched it all from beginning to end, also I wasn’t aware of any of the songs, but they are all upbeat, catchy and instantly hummable.
Last night I went with my husband and he was grinning from ear to ear for most of the evening. He also said “I could see this every night for a month and I’d still enjoy it”.
School of Rock is a musical I shall remember for a long, long time for all the right reasons, check it out at Wolverhampton Grand until Saturday 25th September 2021. The UK and Ireland Tour currently continues until August 2022. Find out more here: uktour.schoolofrockthemusical.com
When not writing about theatre for #BrumHour, Julie Wallis can be found on her own blog at redandgoldweb.wordpress.com
