Stubbing your toe on an iron table leg. Burning the roof of your mouth on lava-hot pizza. These things are less painful than watching a bad production of High School Musical.
So, THANK GOODNESS the local version of the show is being staged by experienced treader of the boards Tony Eccles and Leah Carter, with the help of on stage and backstage stalwart Molly Bowman.
As soon as the opening number started it brought a smile to my face and a tap to my foot. The energy from every single cast member was infectious.
It’s a huge 52-strong cast, making the directing skills from Carter and Eccles all the more impressive.
In productions with such a big ensemble you can often spot at least one person who has fallen out of character in the background, but there was none of this here. It was one of my favourite things about the production.
The staging throughout is busy but not overwhelming. Instead, it’s balanced in a subtle but effective way and the transitions were faultless.
I’ve seen productions where the move from one scene to the next took roughly the same amount of time as it took the Titanic to sink, and it’s a perfect way to lose the audience.
But here, the attention to detail in each transition was wonderfully slick making the show, as a whole, move with a swift pace.
The group numbers are goosebump-inducing and the harmonies sent vibrato-like shivers down my spine.
Credit must go to Carter for exceptional choreography. Her attention to detail has the HSM cheerleaders showing off their dancing prowess and athleticism in a way that stays true to the scenes they’re in.
In terms of the characters themselves, the actors playing Troy (William Shooter) and Gabriella (I watched Kendra Metcalfe in rehearsal, but the part is also being played by Maddie Wood) have a lovely, sweet connection. Each time they have a scene together it brings a quietness that balances out the high energy scenes surrounding them.
Sharpey (played by Eve Puzzar) is hilarious. Her comic delivery and timing are excellent, and she holds the stage with the gravitas of a seasoned performer. Daniel Laurie who plays her comedy duo partner Ryan has a twerk that puts Miley Cyrus’s to shame, and the two playing Gabriella and Troy’s best friends (Harriet Shooter and Cairan Hannay) were cute and funny in their supporting roles.
Everyone, in roles big and small, brought their own personality to their characters, in a way that both held the spotlight, while remaining unified as a cast; a difficult balance to achieve.
Despite being sat in a school canteen in the middle of the day with white tape on the floor to mark the edges of the stage, I was invested. I left the rehearsal with a feel-good vibe and pep in my step that only a rousing American story about friendship, acceptance, and young love can provide.
High School Musical is on at The Gaiety Theatre from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1.