Jason Donovan joins a talented cast for a high-energy trip down memory lane
Watching High School Musical at The Lowry, Salford, was an amazing experience and a brilliant celebration of the much-loved Disney classic in the year of its 20th anniversary.
Co-directed and produced by Joseph Houston and William Whelton, this exciting new production brings the familiar story of Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High to life with huge amounts of energy, passion and nostalgia.
TRANSFORMED: The immersive set at The Lowry gives this High School Musical a new dimension. Picture Matt Crockett.
The theatre has been transformed into an immersive basketball court, complete with an extended stage and on-stage seating, making the audience feel like they are also part of East High School.
The cast performed strongly throughout. Tobias Turley made a very convincing and likeable Troy Bolton, while Leonor Correia brought passion and a beautiful voice to Gabriella Montez. Luke Bayer was hugely entertaining as Ryan Evans, and it was also fantastic to see original High School Musical film star Kaycee Stroh return to the world of East High switching from her on-screen role of Martha to a fantastic Ms Darbus. Jason Donovan also brought plenty of star quality to the role of Coach Bolton.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the performance from Curtis Patrick as Jack Scott, while Jack Scott isn’t a character in the original movie franchise, his commentary and funny one-liners between stage transitions were incorporated perfectly into the storyline.
A personal favourite of mine was Caitlin Tipping as Sharpay Evans. Watching her performance was like seeing the real Ashley Tisdale on stage. From her dramatic mannerisms and confident attitude to her glamorous costumes and perfect comedic timing, she captured everything that made Sharpay such an iconic character.
RETURN: Kaycee Stroh returns to the world of East High, switching from her on-screen role of Martha to Ms Darbus. Picture Matt Crockett.
All the classic songs were preformed brilliantly, with powerful vocals and energetic choreography making favourites such as We’re All in This Together, Breaking Free, Stick to the Status Quo and Bob to the Top almost impossible not to sing and dance along with.
Sophia Pardon’s costume designs were also very colourful and extravagant, adding even more personality and fun to the production.
I highly recommend going to watch this performance!
High School Musical is playing at The Lowry until Saturday, September 19. Visit the Lowry.com
Review by Leah Williams
