I was recently lucky enough to see 'School of Rock the Musical' at Gillian Lynne Theatre in London during September with my lovely mum. I'm a keen theatre-goer and after my stint working in theatre I can appreciate some good marketing and of course an excellent show. We started our evening with a meal in nearby Bill's, before heading to the theatre on Drury Lane.

The show itself has been at the Gillian Lynne Theatre since 2016, and features music from Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the cast was led by Noel Sullivan, of Hear'say fame (ashamed to say I only know of Hear'say because of my sister and I distinctly remember her going to a concert to see them when I was very young and being livid I couldn't go with!)

School of Rock is based on the namesake film that starred the legend that is Jack Black, as Dewey Finn, the failed rock star turned fake substitute teacher. Add a classroom full of talented children, and some catchy songs and near-misses with the school headmistress, and Dewey finds himself with a brand new band to enter the lucrative Battle of the Bands competition. I was surprised to see they'd even kept in cameos from Dewey's old band including guitarist Spider who makes a point to gyrate and be semi-naked in most scenes.

The good-natured show stars a bunch of talented kids who really do 'stick it to the man!' The lighthearted humour offsets the posh prep school background, and I love how the relationship with Dewey and Principal Rosalie Mullins was played up more, with the musical element allowing her love of Stevie Knicks to really shine through. Ned was a favourite character of mine, and I liked that his love of music (that he seems to hide from girlfriend Patty) was expressed through scenes including secretive Guitar Hero playing and musical knowledge. A poster of his old band 'Maggot Death' featured in the scenes in Dewey's bedroom add a clever nod to the end of the show where we see him in full 'rockstar' get-up including face paint and leather pants.

The wannabe rocker Dewey Finn and the talented 'school of rock' never failed to make me smile, and I was glad to see elements of the film had transpired into the stage adaptation too - music for homework, the nightmarish parents evening and the fake illness to get into the competition. Immersive energy, energetic numbers and an amusing storyline make this is a fun night out. The opportunity to snap a few photos and record the final musical number gave it a real 'concert' feel as though you yourself were in the audience at the Battle of the Band competition. 

It is important to note that there's 3 sets of children in the cast, so these are switched out occasionally. An announcement in the theatre, tells you they all actually play their own instruments too - though the slightly off-stage band ruins this illusion for you. I don't think knowledge of the film is necessary to enjoy the show, and even as someone familiar with the movie and the plot, this didn't take away from the on-stage narrative being presented. It's suitable for all ages, and reasonably priced tickets too.

There's extensive evident rapport between Noel and the children, and you can clearly tell there's plenty of care, charisma and badass-ery thrown into every performance to make something a little bit magic.

kisses
Chlo