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

★★★

“The score pulses like blood from a severed major artery”

As we wander into the dimly lit auditorium, there is a music box centre stage bathed in sepulchral light. It chimes like a nursery rhyme, but the tone has an ominous quality. This shadow of unease is darkened by the slowly rotating axe that replaces the ballet dancer that would normally ornament the music box. We feel that something is not quite right.

“Lizzie” – billed as a True Crime Rock Musical – tells the story of Lizzie Borden; a complex character who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in the late summer of 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Written by Tim Maner, Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt, it bursts onto the stage with the force of a recklessly wielded hatchet. The score pulses like blood from a severed major artery. It is exciting and powerful. Yet we know that something is not quite right.

The problem lies in the source material. Lizzie Borden passed into American folklore via the widespread publicity her trial received. Inevitably this gives rise to speculation, half-truths and fabrication but the plain fact is that Borden was acquitted. The police investigation was a shambles and criticised for its lack of diligence, and Borden’s testimonies were suspect to say the least. Contradictory answers to questioning, changing alibis and dubious statements all failed to bring a conviction. Although a free woman, she still lived with the burden of being the prime suspect of a murder that was never solved.

“This is definitely quirky and sassy, and it will get the blood flowing freely”

William Whelton’s production, however, leaves us in no doubt. Lizzie Borden comes across as a pretty cold-blooded murderer. There are attempts to get the audience on her side, but we are left just as cold. Alleged sexual and emotional abuse are revealed. Oppression and fear are used in mitigation, yet we still never root for her. Lauren Drew handles the material exceedingly well, giving as much of a human face as possible to a soul-less and manipulative personality. And the frequent doses of comedy help the bitter taste go down. She is aided and abetted throughout by her sister Emma (played with gusto by Shekinah McFarlane), and by her winking, all-knowing maid, Bridget (Mairi Barclay). Maiya Quansah-Breed completes the quartet as Lizzie’s friend, lover, ally and accuser. A complex journey simultaneously driven and hindered by a romantic sub plot.

Yet the show manages to rise above its drawbacks on the strength of its bombast and spectacularity. Almost sung through, “Lizzie” is in effect a concept album thrust onto the stage. More Prog Rock than the Punk it advertises, it therefore has a richness buried deep into the hardcore backing. All four performers complement this with stunning vocals and electrifying commitment. Rachel Tansey’s costume places the cast in a nineteenth century New England backwater, which jars, until they regenerate into the modern rock chick look that the music dictates. Andrew Exeter’s lighting is impressive, mixing intimate, Gothic hues with epic stadium rock-concert flourishes. There is plenty to applaud, and the audience are certainly on their feet doing that in abundance.

Yet we are ultimately brought back to the nagging sensation that something is not quite right. The message is perturbing. The girl power mantel doesn’t sit well on a story that is angled to let a murderess walk away scot-free. The attempts at comedy don’t always sit comfortably either. We come away not sure how we are supposed to feel. But at least we feel something. Our heartbeats have been raised quite a few beats per minute. This is definitely quirky and sassy, and it will get the blood flowing freely. Not as freely, thankfully, as Lizzie Borden’s victims.

Tag Archives: William Whelton

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

★★★

Troubador Wembley Park

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Troubadour Wembley Park

★★★

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