HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Troubadour Wembley Park

★★★

“the production’s infectious energy and sense of fun carry it through”

Twenty years after becoming a global phenomenon, ‘High School Musical’ returns to the stage with a refreshed experience ready to win over a new generation. While some tweaks may divide fans, expanded character beats and renewed sparkle delivers plenty of feel good charm.

Basketball star Troy Bolton and gifted newbie Gabriella Montez dare to break free of East High’s social cliques through their shared love of singing. Will they stick to the status quo or soar beyond expectations?

David Simpatico’s book keeps the plot lean, focusing on the few days between announcing and casting the school’s musical. Some of the new school-broadcast and drama-class sequences could be tighter, but this version smartly expands the character motivations, creating a slightly more multifaceted feel than the film. Sharpay and Ryan benefit most from this, while Troy and Gabriella remain more archetypes than fully realised characters. Still, that’s true to the film and the added heart is a notable improvement.

With music adapted and arranged by Bryan Louiselle, the score delivers all the beloved hits plus new numbers ‘Cellular Fusion’ and ‘Counting On You’. While these additions may lack the catchy appeal of the originals, they help the expanded story flow. The bigger issue is repetition: nearly every major song has a reprise. While there’s no denying the audience’s appetite for the hits, the pared-back first outing of ‘We’re All In This Together’ leaves the climactic reprise with less punch than it deserves.

Co-directed by Joseph Houston and William Whelton, this production is packed with inventive touches that turn a show into an experience, from onstage seating to action spilling into the auditorium – even if they miss a trick by not including the onstage audience more. Troy and Gabriella’s literally soaring ‘Breaking Free’ is pretty special, despite the audible seatbelt clicks. While some character moments could dig deeper and a handful of scenes are lost to tiny screens, the production’s infectious energy and sense of fun carry it through.

Aaron Renfree’s choreography strikes a smart balance between nostalgia and fresh ideas, keeping numbers like the up-tempo ‘What I’ve Been Looking For’ close to the film while injecting new energy with a sharp basketball sequence. That said, ‘I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ lacks the intimacy it aims for, and superfans may miss the familiar ‘We’re All In This Together’ moves, but the overall effect remains upbeat, fun and unmistakably Disney.

Andrew Exeter’s set creates real game-day atmosphere, complete with pre-show crowd noise, popcorn sellers and onstage seating. Matt Peploe’s sound design adds to the immersive feel, drawing audiences into the world, however the balance can be inconsistent during ensemble numbers. George Reeve’s video design is less successful as the screens are simply too small to fully appreciate the work. Rory Beaton’s lighting embraces the show’s playful spirit, shifting from flashy sports-arena spectacle to gloriously over-the-top romance. Sophia Pardon’s costumes perfectly capture the early-2000s aesthetic, though Sharpay and Ryan’s newsboy caps cast distracting shadows. Angie Carradus and Jackie Sweeney’s wigs and hair design are equally effective, giving Sharpay a cascade of immaculate curls while keeping the rest of the cast refreshingly natural.

McFly’s Harry Judd brings warmth to Coach Bolton and proves he’s still got the vocal chops, while KayCee Stroh is delightfully flamboyant and just as dynamic on the dancefloor as Ms Darbus. Tobias Turley’s Troy pairs a soaring voice with impressive basketball skills, and Leonor Correia’s crystal clear vocals captures Gabriella’s sweetness, though both could dig a little deeper emotionally. Caitlin Tipping’s entertainingly scheming Sharpay and Luke Bayer’s confident Ryan stand out, while the supporting cast deliver strong vocals, sharp choreography and infectious enthusiasm, even if the tempo drags a smidge in places.

‘High School Musical’ is a winning, feel-good night out even if some elements could get their head in the game. The infectious energy, beloved songs and enthusiastic performances ensure audiences will have a great time.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Troubadour Wembley Park

Reviewed on 20th October 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Matt Crockett

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

★★★★★

“gorgeous to look at and stunningly staged”

Shakespeare’s “Othello” is categorised as a tragedy. After all, the full title ‘The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice’ puts it in that box, although it has often been argued that it is not so easy to pigeonhole. While not specifically a ‘Problem Play’, it always has been problematic, due to its controversial and complex issues – particularly regarding race and misogyny. However, there is no problem whatsoever with Tom Morris’ beautifully and stylishly directed revival which captivates throughout, focusing more on the troubled motivations of an unhinged protagonist and his antagonist, Iago.

David Harewood is an imposing Othello with an implicit vulnerability, the degree of which he portrays with an understated precision. Morris makes explicit Othello’s epilepsy, but it is Harewood who manages to convey that there is much more going on under the skin. This play is less about the blackness of his skin than the greenness of the eyes. The monster looms large, drawing audible gasps from the audience at the key moments of violence. Toby Jones, as a deliciously impish Iago, steals more than his fair share of jealousy too. In turn, he shares his resentful and covetous secrets with the audience while manipulating his victims. A show-stealing, darkly mischievous performance that amazingly manages to tease out perverse comedy with impeccable timing; but still be pretty creepy too.

The timeless quality is enhanced by Ti Green’s use of modern costume, set against her opulent, regal backdrops that could belong to any era. The gold trimmings of the theatre’s auditorium stretch to the back of the stage in the shape of gilded picture frames that slip away to reveal the bed on which the murderous climax takes place. Richard Howell’s lighting creates suitably unsettling moods, softening us with warm coppers and cobalts, before shattering our complacency with crashes of white. PJ Harvey’s music (composed with Jon Nicholls) bubbles underneath, often unnoticed and subliminal; unnerving yet still magnificently stylised.

Caitlin Fitzgerald’s Desdemona matches the grandeur. Regal in stature she fights back at her husband’s powerplay with a stillness and strength that (almost) conceals her fear of her own inevitable fate. Video projections reveal the dual emotions in her eyes up close – a fitting omen for the final tragic scenes. It is in these scenes that the peripheral characters take centre stage too – notably Vinette Robinson’s Emilia, the wife of Iago, who breaks out of her subservient pragmatism to deliver lines rich with emotion. Luke Treadaway, as the easily led, hard-done-by Cassio, is impressively charismatic, mixing gallantry and gullibility in explosive measures. Tom Byrne, as Roderigo, adds a lighter touch. Another pawn in Iago’s great scheme, he is more of a fool for love, allowing himself to be easily manipulated.

The whole story is crystal clear, each actor masterfully enunciating Shakespeare’s text and projecting to the rafters with ease. The only slight quibble is that the writing is, at times, a bit long-winded, to say the least. But who’s going to argue with the playwright? This slick production swiftly steers through the soliloquies to stab at the unpalatable truths of human nature. Shakespeare may have written ‘Othello’ surrounded by different principles and outlooks in society, but Morris and company take his words and speak to us in a modern setting with just as much urgency. The show is gorgeous to look at and stunningly staged. Pacy and provocative, filmic and theatrical, full of dark humour and darker candour. Compelling, chilling and thrilling; and staged with the choreographic fluidity of a ballet.

Tag Archives: Dominic Skinner

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

★★★

Troubador Wembley Park

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Troubadour Wembley Park

★★★

“the production’s infectious energy and sense of fun carry it through”