Theatre Review by our Theatre Reviewer Jonah Zalick #OnePlymouth
As a young person, alternative music was where I began to discover myself for who I was, without a filter requiring the need to be ‘acceptable’. Given that, I was ecstatic to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock at Theatre Royal Plymouth on the 3rd of May. The show began with adapting the brilliant 2003 movie and opening in London in 2016; it has toured overseas and has returned for its first UK tour!
Dewey Finn, infamous slacker, has just been kicked out of the very band he formed, and all seems lost for the rock fanatic. To make matters worse, if he fails to pay rent one more time he won’t have a place to call ‘home’. Worlds clash when Dewey, posing as his best friend with a teaching license, becomes a substitute teacher at the prestigious school Horace Green, full of over-achieving children. He enlists their secret but astounding musical skills to propel him back towards success at the Battle of the Bands, while, along the way, helping them embrace the true meaning of ‘rock’.
I was in awe at the phenomenal set and lighting design, by Anna Louizos and Natasha Katz respectively. From the traditional hallways of Horace Green to an old-school dive-bar, space and light was used absolutely phenomenally to make for an evocative atmosphere. It was one I felt I could also experience when listening to a great rock track telling of profound journeys and glorious heights.
Jake Sharp is superb as Dewey Finn, capturing a charming level of boyishness that’s reminiscent of a child hearing his first Jimi Hendrix track and unable to stop himself from air-guitaring. Rebecca Lock commits to a compellingly relatable performance as Rosalie Mullins, with so many layers of a person wondering where all the years that have passed her by have gone. That’s not to mention the phenomenal cast of young ones – not only are they crazily talented in the acting department but, as a pre-show announcement told us, all children with instruments in the show were actually playing! Bass guitars, drums, keyboards… I was stunned!
School of Rock is an exceptional show to not only bring your children to but also your own self. It contains an accessible joy at the liberation that rock music has provided for decades. Upon leaving Theatre Royal Plymouth I was warmed by the idea of how many flourishing young people in that audience will take the message of embracing your talents and ‘sticking it to the man’ to heart. From a consistently terrific set of musical numbers to the very soul of the show, School of Rock asks you to bring not the expectations of the world but rather who you are, making for a terrifically fun while also powerful show for adults and children alike.
Theatre Review by our Theatre Reviewer Jonah Zalick #OnePlymouth
Photos via Theatre Royal Plymouth by photographer Paul Coltas
