School of Rock Spoiler Free Review

School of Rock - 4 out of 5 stars
Willunga High School
TICKETS: End of Season

I loved going to the Hopgood Theatre Friday night to watch Willunga High School bring School Of Rock to life. This production is full of passion and energy, with each performer succeeding in delivering a captivating moment and entertaining the audience thoroughly.

No Vacancy begin the show with their song “I’m Too Hot For You” with Archer, who plays Theo, leading the band with ease and strong vocals. The detail to the costumes is brilliant as each member of the band, Doug, Bob, and Theo wear band tees that are referenced throughout the show as great influences in Dewey’s music taste. Ollie, playing Doug on bass, and Jack, playing Bob on drums, are instrumental in the wonderful opening of this show. It is amazing to see No Vacancy actually playing their respective instruments and clearly showing how they truly are rock stars. They promptly kick Dewey out of the band for not fitting in and the powerful “Top of Mount Rock” begins.

Eliza takes on the role of Dewey and showcases her vocal range immediately. Her delivery is swift, hilarious, and energetic. Eliza grasps the audience from the moment they appear in No Vacancy’s “I’m Too Hot For You”, interrupting the band to rock out and steal the show. Throughout the entire show, Eliza portrays Dewey with large and loud character choices. Eliza commits early on to such a high-energy character with comedic timing, vocal inflection, and even a jump into the splits during “You’re In The Band.”

Ned and Patty are a wonderful contrast to Dewey’s wackiness. Charlie takes on the difficult task of not only playing Dewey’s best friend but also Gabe Brown, a teacher at Horace Green. Both the sweater and Charlie’s character choices are the perfect amount of dorky for Ned Schneebly. Charlie also sings proudly in ‘Children of Rock’ and ‘Faculty Quadrille’. Ava brings Patty Di Marco to life with her exasperation with Dewey, disdain for Ned’s sycophantic nature, and strong rendition of ‘Mount Rock Reprise’.

Ashlee rules the school as Horace Green’s principal, Rosalie Mullins, with grace and ease. Her rendition of ‘Where Did the Rock Go’ is an absolute highlight of the performance, as she lets go of the ‘uptight’ demeanor that she displays at school and shows that she truly was Rosalie the Rock Chick.

Taitem, who played Zack Mooneyham, embodies the withdrawn nature of his character in the first act, but as soon as he picks up his epic electric guitar, he oozes confidence.

Caitlin, who plays Summer Hathaway, on the other hand is the teacher’s pet from the very beginning and excels as the band manager. Her clipboard is a character in and of itself.

Levi, who plays Lawrence Turner, encapsulates the nerdy and shy demeanor of his character brilliantly. When he sticks it to Dewey by saying “You are dull, and stupid, and boring, and obese”, he does so with a bundle of anxious energy that is entertaining to watch.

Florrie S. plays a truly riveting Freddie Hamilton. She captivates the audience's attention anytime that she was on stage, with her energetic drumming and hilarious comedic timing. Florrie S. had this reviewer giggling in their seat, I hope to see her shining on stage again.

Charlotte plays a very suave Katie Travis, her contribution to the band and stage does not go unnoticed. As soon as she gets ahold of her bass, she comes out of her shell and is thrilled to be in the band.

Gemma excels as a shy Tomika Spencer-Williams, who becomes a vital part of the band with her stunning vocals. She steals the show when Tomika amazes both the band and the audience with her rendition of “Amazing Grace”. The applause speaks for itself. Her solo in “If Only You Would Listen (Reprise)” had many in the audience in tears.

Scarlett’s Marcy is a big undertaking as she also played Dewey the night before in the alternative cast. She has such enthusiasm and works well alongside Chloe B., who plays Shonelle, as the backup singers. Their sweet friendship, as showcased by their signature handshake, was endearing. Their bedazzled hair and bright energy are vital to the band.

Amelia shines as Billy Sandford, with her sassy and sometimes unhinged delivery as the band stylist, her background interactions are a joy to watch. Similarly, Chelsea as Mason is a great ‘Techie’ of the band and the heartfelt moment between Mason and the principal, Ms. Mullins, was sweet to watch. Personally, my favourite moment of Chelsea’s performance is when she slid on her knees announcing, “Scoring chicks!” was what Rock n’ Roll was all about.

Savvy as Sophie and Kayla as Madison, ‘The Roadies’, round out the band with ease and brings playful interactions that make the audience feel like they were in the classroom.

Rounding out the cast as an array of parents and teachers are Florrie H., Hayley, Lori, Sienna, Sage, Dean, and Tasmyn. Each member of the ‘adult’ ensemble play their parts well, and the show feels fuller with their additions. They brought life and personality in ‘Faculty Quadrille’, ‘If Only You Would Listen’, and ‘Dewey’s Confession’.

The addition of the dance troupe, made up by Lorri, Cassidy, Chelsea, Caely, Kiralee, Kiara, Chloe R., Esme, Loren, April and Sienna is fabulous. Poignant moments are emphasised with the addition of the contemporary dance style in songs such as ‘Top of Mount Rock’, ‘Where Did The Rock Go’, ‘If Only You Could Listen’. There is a memorable lift/fall in ‘Top of Mount Rock’ that was spectacular as the dance troupe formed a mountain for a dancer to walk on their backs and fall off.

The costuming, set design, lighting and sound were integral to the musical. The favourite set piece being the hand-painted jukebox. Willunga High School have put on a wonderful production of School Of Rock that was loved by the audience. The cast, crew, production team, and everyone involved put so much effort into this show and it was truly rockin’.

- El Flanagan-Sjoberg