School Of Rock

LOOKING for all the world like a line-up for Young Talent Time, the one over-riding take-home impression from this production is not only the amazing wealth of young talent, but also if this is a portent of what our future holds for musical theatre in Townsville, then it is in good hands.

Based on the hit 2003 comedy film which starred Jack Black and Joan Cusack, the plot has a somewhat flimsy premise. A struggling rock guitarist is fired from his band, and he masquerades as a substitute teacher at a snobby prep school. He sees the musical talent of the class and forms them into a band to win the upcoming rock Battle of the Bands.

Some 12 years later it was made into a musical, opening in the West End and Broadway in 2016. The music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is perhaps more reminiscent of Jesus Christ Superstar than any of his other works – indeed there were a few rock riffs that took me straight back to that earlier work of 50 years ago (eek!).

Cutting her teeth over the last 15 years or so on a variety of musical theatre productions in Townsville, director Kylie Ball is developing into a local force to be reckoned with. A dancer by training, her stage instincts are proving to be impeccable and she created an entertainment from a slight script which certainly had its limitations. Exercising a light touch, she concentrated on a particular exaggerated comic style which was the ideal way to put this show across, delivered with equal verve by the entire cast and played against a simple but effective set.

She was helped enormously by first-time vocal director Samuel Stewart (the vocal harmonies were impressive) and choreographer Sarah Valinotti, who produced authentic movement from the young cast which was convincing right to the ends of the fingertips.

Kelly Stone had the lead central role as would-be rock guru Dewey Finn, and after a slow start he relaxed into the role which allowed him not only to have fun but also to exercise an extraordinary range of rock vocals. It is always difficult to follow in the footsteps of a movie role that an actor is indelibly associated with, but Stone managed to make this one his own.

While there certainly were touches of the Jack Black in the portrayal (it would be hard not to), it was largely up to this character to maintain the pace and impetus of the entire show and he achieved this in spades.  He displayed a certain chutzpah and definite connection between himself and the young cast. Had this not been evident, then the show would not have been as engaging or even fun!

Playing opposite him as the school principal, Rosalie Mullins, Michelle Higgins held her own as would be expected of someone of her experience. This essentially under-written role did not allow Higgins to show us what she is capable of, but she clearly had great fun and the show benefitted from her undeniable stage presence.

But it was the cast of young people aged between 10 and 17 that really blew the evening away. There wasn’t a weak link amongst them and they displayed such a plethora of talent as actors, singers and musicians that the result was mind-blowing. And just because there is a large cast of kids does not mean that this is a kids’ show – far from it. It is a fun, contemporary show that can be appreciated by the entire family.

It is indicative of the direction that it was clear that every single young performer contributed their talents as individuals by creating singular characters.

Particular stand-outs were the young people who combined their acting talents with their musical abilities: Elden Stone as Zac, showing his considerable rock talents and skill on the electric guitar; Marielle Maceachern on keyboards, Alyssandra Higgins on bass guitar and Jonan Clay on drums. The finale produced additional surprises with more young cast members displaying talents as musicians.

Add to this amazing vocal performances from Lucy Horn (her sustained high note was a showstopper – and an amusing performance as the bossy student); Erica Round (with her impressive second act vocals) and the three back-up singers (Asha Patel, Charli Higgins and Freya Boggild) whose vocals were matched by their moves. And not forgetting young Oliver Garvie whose line about his mother having too much Botox was the best line of the night!

There were some gems amongst the adult players too, who essentially played second fiddle to the young cast. These included Johnathan Coco (so impressive as Frankie Valli in last year’s Jersey Boys), and Liam Boyd and Alasdair Maceachern as the two gay parents.

The rock band, under the direction of Paddy Higgins, were hidden at the back of the stage but exposed at the end for a rousing rock finale which displayed that it certainly was a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll.

And it is also worth mentioning that it certainly proved to be a bit of a long way for this production which was delayed for a week as several members were stricken with COVID, delaying the opening and effectively shortening the run by a week. Added to this the strange side-effect of the pandemic with productions suffering from lack of advance bookings as people unwilling to commit themselves “just in case”.

Bearing this reduced run in mind, my advice then is to rock on as quickly as possible for the theatre today so you don’t miss out on some good entertainment that the entire family will enjoy. Boy, do we need it now!

Trevor Keeling

Image: OneT Creations