You’re in the band!!! School of Rock: The Musical is at The Lyceum, Sheffield, from Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th July 2022.
The first ever UK and Ireland touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit musical, School of Rock, has come to The Lyceum and I can’t remember the last time I had such a joyful evening at the theatre. You’ve probably seen or at least heard of the much-loved 2003 film of the same name (if not, you’re tacky and I hate you) starring Jack Black – so I thought the musical had big shoes to fill, but even a pair of sparkly platforms were no problem for this show.
Photo credit: Paul Coltas
Jake Sharp managed pitch perfect characterisation of Dewey Finn, the gross-out slob dreaming of rock godhood who pretends to be a substitute teacher and ends up changing the kids’ lives through music. His many comedic moments were natural but expertly timed, helped along by – of course – the insanely talented kids’ cast. If I had to pick, Evie Marner stood out as Summer (a hilariously pretentious gold star student who discovers her softer side and sense of humour by being in the band), but they all blew me away. Though I can’t not mention Katie’s (played by Ivy Balcombe) adorable yet totally rock ‘n’ roll bass face!
Photo credit: Paul Coltas
The whole class at Horace Green deserved – and got – a roaring standing ovation for their performances, and you had to pinch yourself to remember they were actually playing their instruments live because everyone was faultless. As you’d hope in a musical celebrating the power of music, there were also some outstanding voices in the cast. Rebecca Lock – who plays Rosalie Mullins, the uptight headmistress who falls for Dewey and rediscovers her passion for Stevie Nicks in a dive bar scene that hit all the right notes – and Tia Isaac as shy new girl Tomika both deserve a shoutout for their beautiful vocals in Where Did The Rock Go and If Only You Would Listen (Reprise) respectively, though my favourite overall number had to be Stick It To The Man.
I could go on and on about how much fun this show was to watch – and participate in during the scene when the audience become real life spectators of ‘Battle of the Bands’ – but I think Dewey Finn himself (in the words of AC/DC) said it best: For those about to rock… we salute you.
