School Of Rock At Leeds Grand Theatre Review

Reviewed by Jenny Bray

Today marked the day that I finally attended a musical based on a film that I’ve actually seen and enjoyed! I love the film version with Jack Black as Dewey, so the musical had a lot to live up to.

The musical features 14 new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber, alongside all the original songs from the film. As someone who has watched the film more than once, I was pleased that the new songs all fitted in well with the storyline, although I’d expect nothing less from the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber. He collaborated with Julian Fellowes and Glenn Slater for this production.

The characters are a similar mix of adults and children as in the film, meaning there are lots of children involved in the production, 12 to be precise. The new songs add more of a layer to the children’s backgrounds and this is prominent in one of their songs, ‘If Only You Would Listen’.

The show starts with an announcement, which includes that all the instruments are being played live. As the show goes on this adds to the wow factor when some of the children play their allotted instruments, particularly during solos.

For those that haven’t seen the film, it is based around Dewey Finn (Jake Sharp) who is freeloading off his best (only) friend Ned Schneebly (Matthew Rowland) and Ned’s partner Patty De Marco (Nadia Violet Johnson). He gets kicked out of the rock band that he formed and who are heading to ‘Battle of the Bands’ to try to get promoted and win some money. He is then sacked from his job and is being hassled to pay rent by Patty. He takes a call meant for Ned, from a very prestigious, fee paying school called Horace Green. Ned works as a supply teacher and they want Ned to cover one of their teacher’s absences. When headteacher Miss Mullins (Rebecca Lock) says it will be paying $950 a month he decides to masquerade as Ned and take the job on himself. He soon discovers that the children are being trained to play classical instruments and hatches a plan to still enter the ‘Battle of the Bands’ by teaching them rock music. He only has a few weeks, and has to hide it from the other teachers and from the parents and also sneak them out of school to attend the audition.

Patty’s role is an ironic one of telling Ned to have a backbone… while ordering him around. Miss Mullins plays a very prim and proper headteacher who has lost all sense of fun, until Dewey convinces her to go for a drink with him. The casting of Dewey kept him as a slightly overweight and unkempt individual, in line with the film portrayal by Jack Black. Jake Sharp played this to full effect when showing his belly off at various points, including picking his belly button in bed, yuck!

I’d not been to Leeds Grand before so was pleased that it was easy to find, with lots of parking choices nearby. We parked in the Edward Street car park, which is only £3 for the evening after 7pm and only about a 3 minute walk from the theatre. There are bars to order pre-show or interval drinks from. Masks are still to be worn and staff were friendly and all adhering to these rules.

The stage setting moved smoothly from Ned and Patty’s home to various different parts of Horace Green school with detailed wooden panelling and pictures to a bar and some of the children’s homes with ease which allowed for concentration on the show (some shows can have quite clunky scenery changes). Costumes were fittingly frumpy outfits for the teachers and school uniform with blazers for the children.

It was the children who made the show. If they hadn’t announced that all instruments were being played live I’d have assumed that they were miming the music as they were all so good. There are 3 or 4 children covering each role across the tour. Jake (who played Dewey) announced each child when they came to bow at the end. Tia Isaac playing Tomika had a really strong voice and did a couple of great solos. Wilf Cooper played Billy well, with some amazingly camp moves and struts (and put downs for Dewey when he’s trying to ‘harden’ them up a bit).

There is an age guidance of 8+ for this show. There is some bad language, so the type of parent who would send their child to a school like Horace Green may not wish their child to attend this show. However, it’s all in context and the children are suitably horrified when Dewey swears.

The show ends with a get up, clap and sing along which the audience were more than happy to participate in.

I’m pleased that the musical lived up to my expectations and the additional songs really fitted the musical. It’s a feel good show, with child actors who really steal the show.

Rating: I rate it a 4/5

School of Rock is on in Leeds until this Saturday (9th April). Full tour details can be found at www.schoolofrockthemusical.com

Tickets cost from £25 to £49.50 (plus a £3 transaction fee)
School of Rock is on at the Leeds Grand Theatre between 4th and 9th April 2022.
For more information or to book tickets visit What’s On: Leeds Grand Theatre: Leeds Heritage Theatres  contact boxoffice@leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the Box Office on 0113 243 0808

Leeds Heritage Theatres, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NZ