Hellooo! On Thursday I went on my first theatre trip since I went to see Blood Brothers in March 2020! This was a very exciting trip as it was for the opening night of the first-ever UK tour of School of Rock The Musical at Hull New Theatre! I managed to see the closing night of the Kinky Boots UK tour but I've never been to an opening night performance so I was very excited to see it!
We originally booked our tickets for Tuesday 7th September however, due to Covid-related delays with technical rehearsals, a few days before the show it was announced that the Tuesday performance was going to be combined with the Thursday performance. This meant that the new opening night of the tour was Thursday 9th September. We were sat in Row KK in the Circle and I was in seat 20. The tickets were £32.50 each, including fees, and we had a perfect view of the stage! Although not many people were wearing face masks, we kept ours on throughout the show and we didn't have anyone sitting on either side or in front of us so I felt pretty safe as far as Covid was concerned!
It had been a while since I had watched the School of Rock film so I had a rough idea of the story but couldn't really remember the specifics. I LOVED the stage adaptation of the film, which was filled with toe-tapping songs with catchy lyrics that had a way of getting stuck in your head. I loved the lighting throughout the show, along with the staging and the sets. I also LOVE a show that not only lets you take pictures and videos at the end but actively encourages it!
Jake Sharp took the lead as Dewey Finn and was incredible! He was perfect for the role and I loved his vocals and the energy he brought to the stage, which never faltered throughout the show. The Horace Green headmistress Rosalie Mullins was portrayed by Rebecca Lock, who has the most incredible vocal range and I loved her emotional performance of Where Did the Rock Go? I also loved Matthew Rowland's performance as Ned Schneebly and I loved the cast as a whole.
I couldn't see a cast board so I'm not sure who from the children's cast was on stage for the show however, they were all incredible! They all gave such mature performances and it was hard to believe they were all playing their own instruments too! There was so much talent on the stage and I particularly loved the girl who played Tomika, who had a beautiful voice.
Overall, I LOVED School of Rock The Musical and I would definitely go and see the show again! It was great to be able to see the opening night of the tour and the atmosphere in the theatre was amazing to be a part of! It was SO GOOD to be back in a theatre again and I spent most of the show (apart from the emotional bits!) with a smile on my face, which is always a good sign!
Thanks for reading and stay safe!
Sophie
