Show: School of Rock The Musical
Society: New Victoria Theatre (professional productions)
Venue: New Victoria Theatre Woking. The Ambassadors, The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ
Credits: Based on the Paramount movie by Mike White. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Book by Julian Fellowes. Lyrics by Glann Slater. Produced by Crossroads Live, Warner Music Group and Access Industries Inc. - and The Really Useful Group.
Type: Sardines
Performance Date: 28/09/2021
School of Rock The Musical
All photos: Tristram Kenton
Based on the iconic 2003 film starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, the West End show closed just two weeks prior to lockdown in March 2020. The three-year London run followed the show’s Broadway launch in 2015.
The touring production is every bit as good as the West End version, as I can testify for if last night’s show in Woking is anything to go by. In fact, I probably enjoyed it more than I did on press night in 2016. The plot seemed more precise this time around, so whatever changes or adaptations have been made to adjust the show to tour the country – please leave it in! I’m sure that Anna Louizos’s designs (set and costume) and Laurence Connor’s direction have gone a long way to adapting the West End show to a life on the road and what a tough job Verity Naughton has been tasked with – casting the children on a UK tour. Where do you start?
The story follows ‘rocker’ and general layabout, Dewey Finn, as he impersonates his friend and landlord, Ned Schneebly, in a bid to raise some rent money. Ned is a substitute teacher and Dewey starts work at an exclusive prep school – The Horace Green Academy – after Ned’s girlfriend, Patty, threatens to throw Dewey out of their flat. Thinking he’s going to lounge about in Ned’s name and pick up a big cheque at the end of the week, Dewey overhears his (Ned’s) class playing classical music. Cue a brainwave. Dewey, who has just been kicked out of his own band for showboating, sets about turning the young class into a rock band – hence School of Rock is born. Dewey even wants to enter Battle of the Bands with the youngsters and square up to his old band, No Vacancy.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has recorded an announcement before the show starts to let the audience know that the kids really will be playing their own instruments live… as he did in London. It is, of course, the kids that make School of Rock succeed or fail. Well, the brilliance of Jake Sharp as Dewey Finn helps. The onstage chemistry between these two opposing forces of nature is extraordinary. I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered which cast of school children we saw, but the chosen few for Woking’s press night were excellent… as was their musical prowess.
The aforementioned Jake Sharp as Dewey Finn is an inspired piece of casting and it really looked like the entire company was having the time of their lives last night. That goes for Rebecca Lock as Principal of Horace Green, Rosalie Millins too who boasts a fine soprano vocal performance. Julian Fellowes and Glenn Slater have both done the show proud through their lyrical input. There are some very funny lines in this show.
Lloyd Webber has done well to concede to use some of the movie’s original tunes, but has done a great job in ‘topping them up’ with a few good songs of his own. Stick It to the Man has arguably become the anthem of the show, and rightly so. Both audience and cast love it!
Speaking of the audience, Woking’s theatre was, once again, packed to the rafters which is lovely to see. Stalls, Circle and Upper Circle… all full up. Perhaps ATG has stumbled on a brilliant way to screen audiences upon entry; it certainly seems that way. Shame the company couldn’t have stopped the rain which welcomed us after the curtain had fallen too.
Andrew Lloyd WebberGlenn SlaterJulian FellowesmusicalMusical TheatreProfessionalTheatreUK Tour