High School Musical 2

HSM2 has an even more tenuous story than the original – and I felt the music was quite complex at times, however, that said the young people had a good shot at it.

Babette Smith directed the show well, and the cast moved around the stage with ease, helped by a simple but well thought out set.  I liked the fact that the rostra was well used, and the different levels helped the visual impact.

Lighting was good, every part of the stage was well-lit, and there were some nice effects used to enhance the look and feel of the production.

Sound was a little suspect at times, the mics sounded a little muffled and it was hard at times to hear the dialogue well.  The cast as a whole grew in confidence over the show, and performance levels increased as well.

Choreography was mostly suitable for the cast, but perhaps too much armography in some numbers, it would have been nice to have seen a little more control from the cast.

Costumes were good, very in keeping with the style of the show, and everyone’s hair was neat and tidy, which created a really good look.  

To put on a fairly complicated show such as this in such a short time was a big ask, and I felt that the confidence of the young people involved showed this to a certain extent.  However you could see that they all enjoyed themselves, and I hope to see their progression in future.

Michael Walker created a nice character as Troy, and interacted well with the different factions in his life.  I felt he needed a little more conviction in his portrayal, but he sang well and I liked his duet with Gabriella.

I particularly liked Harry Miller’s interpretation of Jack, there was a bit of pizzazz about it, he put a lot of enthusiasm into what he did – the presentation of the talent show was particularly good. 

Zeke and Chad were played by Harry Watts and Nathan Darvell, both of whom created good characters, they too needed a bit more emphasis when they spoke, but I enjoyed what they did.

Anna Lynch gave us a well-studied Gabriella, she projected well, and sang with confidence.  Anna achieved a nice duet with Troy and also a good ensemble number with the staff.

I liked Millie Kelly as Kelsi, again a little more assurance and projection in her speech would have elevated the character to a really good one. 

Jasmine Hassan and Shelby McGuire/Hannah Bugg gave us good portrayals of Taylor and Martha, all showing confidence and singing well. 

The most assured and confident performance came from Natacha Basset as Sharpay, her experience showed, and I loved what she did.  For someone so tiny she really owned the stage.

Blossom and Peaches, Sharpay’s two sidekicks were well played by Talya Agasee and Ania Opoczynsya, they put in very creditable performances, a good grouping.

Daniel Mitchell played Ryan – and got the essence of the rather down-trodden brother, he certainly looked the part and I noticed that his confidence developed during the show, I liked the way he took on the part and grew it.

Hattie Coleman was nearly there with Miss Fulton – she just needed to slow her speech a little, and project more, but well done for getting in there and showing that a young person can play an adult with assurance.

Emma Coleman appeared as Mrs Darbus, nicely done, and was also an ensemble player along with Charlie Bourne, Elizabeth Howard, Izzi Peart, and Sophie Williams.

In conclusion, a nice production, that everyone had done well to put on in such a short time, and which we enjoyed.   I look forward to seeing these young people in the next youth production, as I feel they have a lot more to give as they become more experienced.

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