Wirral Grammar School

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Cross Lane, Bebington,
Wirral. CH63 3AQ
Tel: 0151 6440908

School News & Features

High School Musical Review & Gallery

Posted on: 28.03.2009
Only those who have spent the last few years in monastic retreat will have failed to notice the unstoppable march of the Disney phenomenon ' High School Musical ', and last week, for six nights, HSM finally arrived in Bebington as the Wirral Grammar Schools stage version of the hit teen movie played to packed houses full of screaming youngsters, teachers, governors, family and friends of the cast and (admittedly) even a High School Musical virgin (me!) who, up until Saturday, believed that the memory of Olivia Newton John squeezed into black spandex in Grease belting out those classic songs alongside a youthful John Travolta would never be surpassed; could I be proved wrong? The next two hours would provide an answer.

As I arrived for Saturday's final performance I was expecting to be engulfed by a thundering wall of sound that could only be produced by hundreds of screaming girls, and was surprised to see an audience with an average age somewhat higher than my two fellow critics (my Daughter Alice 12, and her best friend Lauren, 11). As we settled into our seats, I contemplated the decision of my son Elliot to 'give the show a miss' in order to catch Harry Hill's TV Burp, but always keen to try something new, I sat back, pom poms at the ready, and asked the girls about the upcoming storyline and, as it turned out, it was simplicity itself!

East High School is the fictional setting dominated by four 'cliques'; the jocks, the brainiacs, the thespians and the skater dudes. It's winter, and the jocks are preparing for a fast approaching Championship basketball game. At the same time, the brainiacs are getting ready to take part in a maths decathlon and the thespians are looking forward to auditioning for the annual musical ( a neo-feminist version of Romeo and Juliet???). The plot unfolds as jock Troy Bolton (Stoffer Brun) meets brainiac Gabriella Montez (Sophie Bowen Jones), a new girl in town. Following the meeting Troy realises that he has a repressed, artistic inner self (yes, he is really a singing drama geek!), and against peer pressure and adult pressure, Troy and Gabriella audition for the musical, which brings them into conflict with the established thespian star twins Sharpay (Bryony Smith) and Ryan (Matthew Mellor).

So, the story hinges on a series of questions-will Troy's and Gabriella's young love triumph over loyalty to their friends? Over the machinations of Sharpay? Over the stereotypical thinking of the two adults, head thespian Ms.Darbus (Kayleigh Lomax) and Coach Bolton (Troy's father-played by Sam Caveen))? Of course due to having a daughter who has seen the movie approximately 47 times, I already had the answers, but the journey, I hoped, would be an interesting and entertaining one, and I wasn't to be disappointed!

Director Geoff Hinde's stage adaptation thankfully managed to get rid of the Disney/America teen-angst schmaltz that I was expecting, and he replaced it with high energy performances, foot-tapping musical arrangements, lots of good humour and yes, plenty of cheesy lines all of which were superbly executed by a cast who looked like they were having the time of their lives! The behind the scenes personnel, led by Deputy Head Boy Max Gopfert had obviously worked hard to create an exuberant set, and the vibrant colours of the costumes were a credit to costume co-ordinator Esme Lewis. The performances from all cast members were of a particular high standard. Stoffer Brun (complete with floppy, swoopy Zac Efron style hairdo) made a perfect Troy and managed to capture the likeability factor (with just a smidgen of welcome vulnerability) to make an appealing leading man. Sophie Bowen Jones was just as wholesome and charming as Gabriella, the wide-eyed brainiac who also has a strange urge to want to sing! Bryony Smith and Matthew Mellor came close to stealing the show as Sharpay and Ryan, and Ali Foroozani once more displayed his outstanding comic ability as jock Chad Danforth. A character absent from the movie, Jack Scott, the school announcer, is brilliantly over-the-top and played outrageously by Ben Caveen and there are some fine performances from the rest of the bouncy, engaging cast who performed as if they were appearing in the greatest show in the world!

Geoff Hinde (Director), Amy Chalmers (Musical Director) and choreographers Sam Taylor and Cath Jennings deserve real credit for creating a superb atmosphere. The basketball choreography which opens the 'Get'cha head in the game' number was my daughters favourite and the Mega Mix Finale was packed with so much energy that my colleagues from the PE department in the row behind appeared to be rehearsing for their very own version of Riverdance!

So, was there a happy conclusion to the storyline? Of course there was! The kids miraculoulsy contrive to work together and win every competition with everyone (except Ryan) ending happily paired up, including a few improbable duos that you could see coming from as far away as Hilbre Island! That everything ends happily is hugely appropriate because that's how the show made you feel, and it became obvious that the MBE attached to Mr.Geoff Hinde stands for Mesmeric, Brilliant and not least Enterprising, because with Disney having already produced High School Musical 2 and 3, that's the next two school productions already in the bag. Enterprising indeed!

Tony Boustead
Community Learning Manager