Birmingham Youth Theatre’s High School Musical Review
Birmingham Youth Theatre are back with High School Musical On Stage!
The award-winning Birmingham Youth Theatre are back with a musical treat – High School Musical On Stage! This is a production bursting with joy and upbeat numbers, performed by talented youngsters. Directed by Vivienne Morrison, BYT brought the beloved musical to The Old Rep from 16th to 18th June.
The Plot:
The story follows High School Basketball star, Troy Bolton, who meets the intelligent Gabriella Montez on New Year’s Eve. After singing karaoke together, the pair instantly click and exchange numbers. Cut to Troy at East High School where he’s shocked to find Gabriella has moved to his school. As Troy tries to move out of his father’s shadow, it’s not long before the pair sing together again for East High’s musical production.
When Troy and Gabriella make a buzz around school, Sharpay and Ryan Evans (President & Vice-President of the Drama Department), soon get jealous. Sharpay will do anything to ensure Troy and Gabriella don’t get cast in the lead roles. More chaos ensues as Chad, Troy’s best friend, thinks he should forget singing and focus on their dream of winning the championship. Also, Gabriella’s friend, Taylor, wants her to ditch thinking about Troy to instead try and win the science decathlon. Prepare for a story filled with humour, heart, friendship and love.
BYT’s High School Musical includes an outstanding cast of dedicated young performers. Luke Griffiths plays Troy Bolton, who leads with a strong and refined performance. Griffiths pairs well with Maddison Clarke’s Gabriella, who brings an equally fantastic performance and enchanting vocals. Alys Thomas gave a pitch perfect performance as Sharpay, with exceptional characterisation. Carter Evans, as Ryan, brings an electric energy to the show and full embodies the role. Thomas and Evans had such great chemistry and comic timing which shined on stage. Both lead duos nailed their vocals and choreography.
Lily-Mae Nicholls had a great stage presence, playing the eccentric Ms. Darbus to perfection. Coach Bolton, played by Rhys Bishop, brought authority to the stage, creating a great rivalry with Nicholls’ character. Freddie Perry, as Chad, gave a very confident performance throughout with strong vocals. Lola Harper as Taylor was also a delight on stage as a key supporting character. Beatrice Roberts, playing Kelsie, did a superb job portraying a timid character who soon gets her moment to shine. Also, Dylan O’Connor brought the likeability factor, with his enjoyable commentary as school announcer, Jack Scott.
Each member of the cast gets their moment to shine, here’s a special shoutout to the whole ensemble: Beth Gilbert, Charlie Bland, Marni Carroll, Josh Mills, Charlie McRoberts, Cat Allsop, Ellie Johnstone, Sophie Terry, Ren Cater-O’Neill, Megan Allsop, Emily Green, Jasleen Neer, Maisie Cotterill, Abigail Bell, Finley Hill, Kitty Smart, Tabitha Vlok, Amelia Jennings, Saran Sambhi, Tegan Lynch, Ellie Cosgrove, Lucie Holcroft, Hannah Allsop, Ruby Blount, Niamh Thompson, Kurtis Jennings, Mia Hodges, Niamh Flanagan, Kamile Kazlauskaite, Edina Bilham-Moore, Rianna Phillips, Hollie-Mae Bell, Zara Khan and Tillie Flack.
The show’s pacing and staging was spot-on, thanks to Vivienne Morrison’s clear direction. The choreography by Joe Logan was particularly outstanding, with the cast giving their all in each dance routine. Musical Director Chris Corcoran delivers the show’s iconic numbers with ease, leading a live band. Morrison, Logan, Corcoran and Emily Ewins all make a talented creative team that get the very best performance out of each cast member.
The stunning Lighting Design and Programming by Dave Pittam and Jack Tustin of Going Dark Theatrical Services, enhanced this production’s prestige, sparkle and professionalism. In addition, the excellent set design by Christopher Jeff and Scenic Projects brought the show’s school setting to life. Costuming by Julie Albas and Ida Jeff was also well designed, complementing the show perfectly.
Congratulations to Birmingham Youth Theatre on a fantastic performance! For more information about BYT, click here.
Be sure to mark your calendar for BYT’s next panto production… Cinderella, 13th to 15 January 2023 at The Crescent Theatre.
