Review Roundup: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Reviews have come in for the first UK non-replica production of Disney's High School Muiscal, which lands at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre after a summer run at the Lowry in Salford, and twenty years after the Disney Channel film of the same name became a pop culture sensation. Critics are full of praise for this high-energy staging, packed with nostalgia, as well as the immersive staging, though there was some criticism of the book and a few of the songs.
Tobias Turley and Leonor Correia in High School Musical. Photo by Tristram Kenton
What are critics saying about High School Musical?
TimeOut
"Millennial nostalgia bait – but it’s spectacularly well done"
★★★★
Reviewer: Isobel Lewis
"The production also gets right something that fans have always known. As the leads, basketball star Troy (I Have A Dream winner Tobias Turley) and shy girl-in-STEM Gabriella (newcomer Leonor Correia) are the anchors of the show. They need to be sweet and sincere, with PG-13 flirty chemistry and strong voices (even if Zac Efron himself wasn’t the one on the first soundtrack) for the most well-known numbers, ‘Start of Something New’ and ‘Breaking Free’. Turley and Correia bring a tenderness to the roles, allowing their intimate moments to shine bright among the cavernous stage. They ground the production, allowing the audience to turn their attention to the really interesting characters."
WhatsOnStage
"Exactly what I’ve been looking for"
★★★★
Reviewer: Hang Yuen
"The stage design is a particular triumph. Set on a basketball court, the production makes ingenious use of every inch of space, creating the impression that the audience has stepped directly into the world of the original film. The basketball court, overhead television screen, kiss cam and occasional “on air” announcements convincingly recreate the atmosphere of a live sporting event. Meanwhile, the inventive use of locker doors as pop-up stages, including the rooftop setting for Troy (Tobias Turley) and Gabriella’s (Leonor Correia) duet, demonstrates considerable theatrical creativity. The telephone scene is another highlight, elevated by sophisticated lighting, while the black-and-white imagery accompanying one of Troy and Gabriella’s duets creates a strikingly retro, cinematic moment."
The Stage
“Refreshingly positive”
★★★★
Reviewer: Paul Vale
"Vital to the success of this production is the rapport between the star-crossed students Troy and Gabriella. In fact, it isn’t really until the well-matched Turley and Correia tentatively try out the duet What I’ve Been Looking For that the heart of this musical properly begins to beat. The warmth generated by the pair fills the Troubadour’s rather daunting space and their voices blend beautifully, diffusing the memory of the brash, boisterous opening numbers and continual scene-setting."
Luke Bayer and Caitlin Tipping in High School Musical. Photo by Tristram Kenton
London Theatre
"We're all in this together in a joyfully immersive production"
★★★★
Reviewer: Lisa Martland
"A talented, enthusiastic cast is essential to a production so reliant on nostalgia, and this one delivers. Having KayCee Stroh, who played Martha in the original film, take on drama teacher Ms Darbus is quite a coup. She mines humour and pathos from the role, and proves that her dance moves are just as good as they were two decades ago. Harry Judd, though, has less opportunity to make an impression in the unwritten role of Coach Bolton. Caitlin Tipping is spot on as the stagey diva Sharpay, while Luke Bayer brings welcome humanity to her henpecked brother, Ryan. Tobias Turley and Leonor Correia could perhaps let go a little more vocally as Troy and Gabriella, but there’s a sincerity and sweetness to their onstage partnership that is likely to flourish as the run progresses."
The Guardian
"Disney fave is sweet, slick and as squeaky clean as ever"
★★★
Reviewer: Holly O'Mahony
"It’s dizzying and dazzling – never more so than during the revival of Bop to the Top, led by Luke Bayer and Caitlin Tipping as siblings Ryan and Sharpay Evans, who are every bit as entertainingly grating as their screen counterparts. Aaron Renfree’s nimble choreography rotates montages from the all-important science competition, basketball game and musical callbacks, as Troy and Gabriella race against the clock to make it to auditions."
Halloween is just around the corner - here are our recommendations for all the spookiest shows to catch this autumn. And if you're interested in what's happening across the pond, we've compiled our dream list of Broadway shows we'd love to see in the West End.
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