School Of Rock At The Liverpool Empire Review

Reviewed by Hannah Chan

All I have to say is that if you haven’t seen this show yet, don’t hesitate! Go and see it, you won’t be disappointed. The energy, the songs and the atmosphere were second to none.  As lovers of the movie, my daughter (13) and I made our way to the Liverpool Empire Theatre. We decided to use public transport which was of course delayed, then cancelled, however we made it with minutes to spare. The super friendly staff lead us to our seats and we were sat down just before the show began. The theatre was full, which is always a good sign.

Right from the off this show has you hooked. It is fast paced and full of music. With a bill of catchy songs plus those from the film, Andrew Lloyd Webber has created something really special here. The choreography, the set changes and the cast all work so well together. I have nothing but praise for the show as a whole.

Dewey Finn, played by Jake Sharp, is the lazy dreamer who wants nothing more than to rock out all day, but needs to pay his rent. This sends him on an unexpected journey to becoming a substitute teacher at a very exclusive prep school. If you closed your eyes, you would swear that it was Jack Black himself on stage. Jake’s mannerisms, how he acted and sang, were spot on. Even though he used Jack’s character as a base, he added in a lot of his own personality which took it to the next level. He was full of energy which radiated from the stage. You couldn’t not laugh at his jokes and sarcasm. Jake can sing such a story that you really get a feel for who he is and his motivations. You don’t need to hear the background, from the point it starts in his bedroom after an evening on stage you feel you know him already. His character development flowed effortlessly.

I have to mention his flatmate Ned Schneebly without whom Dewey wouldn’t have had the opportunity to find his new band. Matthew Rowland who played Ned was brilliant, I loved his portrayal of the weedy and walked over ex rocker. At first I wasn’t sure how it would work as in the musical his character is altered to make him look more wet, but it really worked and the audience loved him. Plus there was a genuine and believable connection between him and the children on stage.

I loved that they gave Principal Mullins, played by Rebecca Lock, a bit more of her own story line too, it wouldn’t have worked in the movie but in the musical it helped the whole thing to blend together a little more. Her voice, wow! The notes she hit were astounding and she portrayed the character perfectly, I really loved her. I loved how they worked her opera singing into a show about rock and roll. Rebecca’s solo Where did the rock go wowed the crowd and really showed off her vocal range. We particularly enjoyed Horace Green Alma Mater as it set the school scene perfectly in under three minutes.

All of the adult actors were amazing, especially those mentioned above, but the children! The children were astounding!

All of them sang their hearts out, played their own instruments and had dance routines. They were never still, always moving, they were passionate and very well rehearsed. I was very impressed as this show, twice a day, would be more than enough for grown ups but they took it in their stride. I have never seen a group of children perform such an energetic and amazing show. I was almost in tears as they sang If Only You Would Listen and clapping along to Stick it to the Man. I could name all of them and tell you what made them stand out but this article would be too long.

My daughter’s favourites from the children were Jasmine Djazel who played Tomika. Her character was given a little more of a story background which was shown well in her snippits of interaction with her dads and then in her wonderful solos. She also loved Wilf cooper as Billy and Isaac Forward as Freddie. All the children were outstanding.
Looking at the program the children are rotated due to the shows location. I find this even more incredible as it shows for adaptable they are being able to slip in and out of the show when needed.

Did I mention that they all played their own instruments, it needs saying twice as I found this phenomenal that they learnt all of the songs on their instruments as well as acting and dancing.  The scene everyone was waiting for, the Battle of the Bands competition piece as they sang School of Rock, did not disappoint. It was truly memorable.

Part way through act one, the theatre was evacuated. We don’t know why. An orange light came on stage and someone came on and ushered off the cast then the safety curtain was dropped. There were no announcements for us to leave so was a bit of confusion as with there being no announcement, many stayed in their seats or headed to the bar or toilets. With there being roadworks directly outside the building it is something to take into account, know your routes if there is a problem and be mindful of where the staff are located to ask for help. Find somewhere safe to stand away from the building and roadworks. So many crowded the doors which made it difficult for people to know what was going on. It took a little while to clear the building and the show resumed almost an hour later.

I mention this because you’d expect a little wobble perhaps, but no. The cast were straight back in with the same level of awesomeness and it was as if there hadn’t been a break at all. Except for the fact that because of the time spent outside, they decided to begin the show from the top of act two, so we missed the last part of act one. I would pay to return just to see that missed part, that’s how good it was. I have to hand it to the kids, it must have been a little scary being taken off stage but you wouldn’t have known at all. Not one mistake spotted, their performances flawless.

If you’re still on the fence, head onto social media. During the last rendition of Stick it to the Man, Jake encouraged the audience to get out their cameras and told them to tag the show online! So I am sure you will be able to find lots of video clips and photographs from the last song.  Of course the show received a standing ovation.

Rating: I give The School of Rock Musical an easy 5 out of 5 stars

You can find tickets here from £13 per seat.

The show runs from Tuesday July 5th to Saturday July 9th, with two performances a day on Wednesday and Saturday. I believe that seats are selling fast, so book quickly.