Leeds Grand Theatre – until 9 April 2022
5*****
A whole host of children with more talent and courage in their little fingers, than I will ever have in a lifetime, lead this fabulous production.
Based on the Jack Black film of the same name, Dewey Finn (Jake Sharp) is a rock star in his head and a waster in real life. No job, living in the spare room of his friend Ned (Matthew Rowland) and hated by Ned’s girlfriend Patty (Nadia Violet Johnson) and thrown out of his own band. But all of this changes when Dewey takes a phone call intended for Ned, inviting him to teach at the prestigious Horace Green Prep School. Dewey Finn is suddenly substitute teacher Mr Schneebly and the chaos ensues.
After witnessing his class being taught to play Mozart by Principal Rosalie Mullins (Rebecca Lock), Dewey realises he has a band and sets about changing them from classical musicians to rock stars so they can compete in Battle of the Bands.
With three sets of youngsters playing the individual roles, it’s fair to say the future of musical theatre is assured with the insane talent of these amazing child performers. Eva McGrath, Emerson Sutton, Thomas Harvey and Isaac Forward who play Freddy; Chloe Marler, Marikit Akiwumi, Daisy Hanna and Ivy Balcombe who play Katie; Oliver Forde, Angus McDougall, David Gluhovsky and Oliver Pearce who play Lawrence; Joseph Sheppard, Harry Churchill, Hanley Webb and William Laborde who play Zack; Wilf Cooper, Logan Matthews and Alfie Morwood who play Billy; Keira Laver, Florrie May Wilkinson and Saffia Layla who play Summer; Jasmine Djazel, Souparnika Nair and Angel Lucero who play Tomika; Hadlee Snow, Darmani Eboji, Devon Francis and Riotafari Gardner who play James; Lily Rose Martin, Elodie Salmon and Paris Banyong who play Marcy; Caelan Wallington, Alex Shotton and Nesim Adnan who play Mason; Kyla Robinson, Eden Anthony and Elisha Kerai who play Shonelle; Ophelia Parsons, Jemima Newman, Ava Masters and Inez Danielak who play Sophie
The grown up band (Sam Hall, Eddie Tatton, Ben Castle, Adam Smith, Dan Humphries, Gordon Wilson and Stephen Hill) led by Michael Riley are wonderful and it’s nice to see them cheering on the ultra talented youngsters
I still find it hard to equate the people who wrote The Phantom of the Opera and Downton Abbey could collaborate to write a rock musical, but the Lords have done an excellent job. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and Julian Fellows book, come together with Glenn Slater’s fabulous lyrics and Laurence Connors assured direction to give us one of the best shows that I’ve reviewed in a long time.