School of Rock

Based on the 2003 film of the same name, School of Rock follows Dewey Finn in his (fake) role as a substitute teacher at a highly respected private school. With music being Dewey’s main passion in life, he finds that he can share this passion with his class and they form their own rock band with the ultimate aim of winning ‘Battle of the Bands’. The cast of this show would usually comprise of both adults and children in integral parts, however with this being a high school production, all roles were played by children. I wasn’t sure how this would look at first, but it was well played for the most part.

When the curtains opened, the pit band were revealed atop a platform at the back of the stage. At first, I was concerned that they couldn’t be seen enough to justify having them on stage, however this actually worked out well as it meant they did not overshadow the cast who were playing their instruments live. While the pit band sounded great and were well conducted by Chloe Travis, there were quite a few moments towards the end of the show where they (along with the band within the cast) were too loud which meant the singing could not be heard.

From what I have been able to count in the programme, 90 (yes, 90!) children made up the cast of this production. The staging was mostly effective, however there were times when the number of bodies on stage made for heavy traffic in the wings when exiting. Unfortunately, this did have an impact on the pace of the show and was quite distracting during the subsequent scenes. Minimal set was used for different locations within the show; desks and chairs for the classroom, chairs and a table for a staff room, and a small platform acting as a bed for Dewey in the flat. There were also 2 screens which were used for both the classroom and the battle of the bands by turning them around. The classroom scenes worked well for the number of cast on stage, with not everyone having a desk but instead being sat on chairs in between. This allowed there to be a larger class but with less set to be moved around. In several moments throughout the show, cast were using the stairs within the audience and the floor space in front of the stage. I particularly liked this use of space during ‘If Only You Would Listen’ where the “adults” were all glued to their phone screens with the “children” singing at them, begging to be heard. This was a really poignant moment which was cleverly staged.

A let down of this production for me were the scene changes. They seemed to be very slow for a small/simple set, and not all of them were underscored which made for some awkward silences waiting for the next scene to begin. Specifically, during the opening of Battle of the Bands when a piece of set was left on stage, and the band had to keep looping and the lights were not brought up until it was removed. Ryan Moors as Dewey Finn managed to bring us some hilarious moments on the back of a loud thud from backstage, and a missing drum kit.

I found the choreography (by Vicky Sheard) to be a very strong element of the production, with a particular highlight being ‘Stick It to the Man’. The choreography of this number really added to the defiant tone. The cast performed all dances with conviction and confidence, bringing heaps of energy which helped to keep the flow of the show going.

Lighting throughout was appropriate for the respective scenes but the cast were often lost when performing in front of the proscenium arch through not being lit. I feel a number of the technical elements did detract from the performances given by the cast, including microphone issues. Many cues were not hit which meant lines were not heard by the audience. Costumes were fitting for the theme of the show, with all ‘students’ in matching school uniforms, the parents in more ‘business’ attire, and the teachers having their costumes matched to their subject in some instances.

Despite the critique given to technical aspects of the show, the cast did brilliantly and all looked like they were truly enjoying themselves. The confidence with which they performed was a pleasure to watch, and they were spot on with cues and moving their own pieces of set during transitions. I feel there was room for improvement in diction and accents for a number of cast members, however their overall performances were strong.

Heading up the cast in the lead role of Dewey Finn was Ryan Moors – he did a fantastic job with such a huge part. Barely off stage for a second, Ryan never allowed his energy to drop and delivered numerous cracking comedy moments. The characterisation and physicality were great, without it seeming like a caricature of Jack Black. He played the different relationships with other characters very well, and the vocals were great! A highlight being that he played the guitar live during several numbers! Well done, Ryan!

Rosey Pemberton gave us a stunning performance as headteacher, Rosalie Mullins, developing her character beautifully from scary and uptight, to delicate and caring. This was a standout performance in terms of vocals – being able to give both classical and belting vocals at such a young age is very impressive!

Finley Hayes and Chloe Olsen played the parts of Ned Schneebly (the real one) and Patti Di Marco. Finley had great comedy timing, and he played the spineless side of Ned really well. Chloe gave a passionate performance as Patti, however it seemed to all be at one level of shouting at Ned and Dewey. I would have liked to see a bit more of the range of emotions explored in the role.

Emily Norris brought all the sass and attitude to the role of Summer Hathaway. She was always in character and giving maximum energy every second of the show – especially during the dance numbers. She gave great vocals in ‘Time to Play’! A brilliant performance.

Also showcasing amazing vocals was Neesha Stingemore as Tomika. When she belted out ‘Amazing Grace’, the audience fell completely silent. The contrast from the shy character to a young girl coming out of her shell to sing in front of everyone was played really well.

One of the most impressive parts of this production was the band playing their instruments live. Mason Royal (Zach Mooneyham – Guitar) had the audience rooting for Zach. He had some lovely vocals along with excellent guitar skills. The hilarious Seth Littlemore (Freddie Hamilton – drums) was always in character with great reactions to the scenes happening around him and was brilliant on the drums! I would have liked to have seen/heard more from Thea Littlemore as Katie on the bass, but she gave a good performance with the parts she did have. I especially enjoyed Amelie Skelding’s portrayal of Lauren (keyboard). The characterisation and commitment to the role of the ‘nerdy’ girl was great. I was very impressed to find out that Amelie learnt to play the keyboard for this show! Well done!

Making up the rest of the class were the backing singers, groupies, tech and roadies. They had each created their own characters within their groups and gave great reactions. The dancing from the backing singers was particularly strong.

Other adult roles within the show were the teachers and the parents. They all performed in their own sections, but I found these lacked pace in comparison to the rest of the show. The vocals in these scenes were not as strong as those in other parts of the show. The teachers gave some nice comedy moments in the staff room when interacting with Dewey.

The ensemble were strong and gave performances full of energy, with clear direction on their characters and purpose. I feel there could have been some stronger harmonies used in the numbers but this did not detract from the show as a whole.

Overall, this production was carried by the talent of the kids on stage. Their smiles, confidence and energy throughout the whole show really made it. The technical aspects could have been stronger and slicker, as it did affect the pace quite a lot. The main stand out for me was the fact the cast all looked like they were having a great time performing to a packed audience who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. I must say that the production did leave me with a smile of my face, and had me laughing in all the right parts. While critique has been given to various aspects, I did find the show as a whole very enjoyable. Many thanks to Eaton Bank Academy and the Daneside Theatre for their hospitality, and I wish them the best of luck for their next production.

 

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