The School Of Rock At Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Review

Reviewed by Lisa

The School of Rock musical can be summed up in one word – AMAZING! We saw it while it was on tour at the Mayflower theatre in Southampton, and it really did not disappoint. Directed by Laurence Connor, from the start to finish we were captivated with brilliant songs, comedy and fun. The whole show was very high energy, and the main character ‘Dewey Finn’ (who was played by Jake Sharp) was outstanding. He held the whole show together, is a great actor and musician, and was apt at using physical comedy, having us laughing at many points in the show. He was in every scene and had so much energy he must have been exhausted by the end! He also seemed to have a great relationship with the children, who were similarly outstanding. They had clear diction in their songs, several solos were executed with poise and precision and they played their instruments live on stage, flawlessly demonstrating an amazing amount of confidence and skill for their ages.

This musical is obviously based on the ‘School of Rock’ film, and many of the original songs are featured along with 14 new ones written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Glenn Slater (lyrics). These tied in seamlessly and we were left singing the songs all night long! We had a great view from our seats in the stalls, although the chairs could have done with being a bit comfier. The scenery was fairly simple but the scene changes were flawless and they were all just what was needed to create a great show. The first half was setting the scene with all the characters being introduced. Dewey was pretending to be Ned Schneebly and working at the school, with the class learning about rock and how to play it then auditioning and getting through to the ‘Battle of the bands’. There was a longer interval than expected, which may account to the show overrunning by nearly 20 minutes which made it a later night than expected. The second half was showing Dewey’s relationship with the other teachers and the love growing between him and the headteacher (played by Rosalie Mullins, who had a powerful and stunning voice), as well as the final ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition. The actors who doubled up on playing the teachers’ and parents’ were also brilliant, and even when they were off the main stage waiting at the side watching their children perform, they were still very much in character with one another. By the last song the whole audience was joining in with clapping, and the cast received a standing ovation at the end with much cheering as everyone took their bows. The laughter continued through to the end when everyone else had left the stage except the headmistress and Dewey, and she then pulled him off the stage by his tie – although probably more for a well earned rest after the amount he gave physically and emotionally to his performance! I would recommend this show for children aged around 8 upwards, as it would be fun for the whole family!

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost: £29.50 – £54.50

Where: Mayflower theatre, Commercial road, Southampton, SO15 1GE from 18th-23rd July.

For more information or to book tickets please visit: https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/school-of-rock-2022/