'High School Musical' review — we're all in this together in a joyfully immersive production

Read our review of High School Musical, now in performances at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre to 3 January 2027.

Summary

• High School Musical plays at London's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
• The stage show is based on the beloved Disney movie
• Joseph Houston and William Whelton's high-octane production transports audiences to East High
• The talented company includes original cast member KayCee Stroh as Ms Darbus

Twenty years after the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical introduced audiences to the staff and students of East High, the first UK non-replica stage production has arrived at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, following a short run in Manchester. Translating such a popular screen phenomenon to the stage is no easy feat but this inventive approach brings a fresh interactive dimension to the familiar story, combining catchy songs with dynamic choreography and imaginative use of space.

Hope Mill Theatre’s Joseph Houston and William Whelton, who direct this production, wisely resist the temptation to tamper too much with the original’s tone. Having met at a karaoke night on New Year’s Eve at a ski resort, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are reunited at East High when Gabriella’s mum moves to the area. Both are reluctant to audition for the school musical, wary of stepping outside the expectations imposed by their peers. Everyone seems intent on preserving the status quo, but why should pursuing what makes you happy be such a crime? The message of David Simpatico’s minimal book may lack subtlety, but in a world where young people face so much pressure to follow the crowd, it remains pertinent.

The creative team goes all out to create an immersive environment that transports the audience to East High, with the gymnasium very much the centrepiece. Wildcat banners, video screens, voiceovers, a central scoreboard, cheerleaders, and audience members seated on either side of the playing space help re-create the sights and sounds of a high-octane basketball tournament.

Within the vast expanse of Andrew Exeter’s eye-catching set, enhanced by George Reeve’s video projections and Rory Beaton’s lighting, some intimate moments risk getting lost in the fast-paced staging. However, quieter scenes, such as Troy and Gabriella’s rooftop garden encounter, ingeniously created using a couple of mobile staircases, offer a welcome change of pace.

Aaron Renfree’s sharp, infectious choreography is a major asset, paying homage to the original film while bringing a contemporary personality of its own. The movement drives the big ensemble numbers while also enhancing the storytelling. Houston, Whelton and Renfree work especially well together in the climactic sequence in which three scenarios unfold simultaneously.

A talented, enthusiastic cast is essential to a production so reliant on nostalgia, and this one delivers. Having KayCee Stroh, who played Martha in the original film, take on drama teacher Ms Darbus is quite a coup. She mines humour and pathos from the role, and proves that her dance moves are just as good as they were two decades ago. Harry Judd, though, has less opportunity to make an impression in the unwritten role of Coach Bolton.

Caitlin Tipping is spot on as the stagey diva Sharpay, while Luke Bayer brings welcome humanity to her henpecked brother, Ryan. Tobias Turley and Leonor Correia could perhaps let go a little more vocally as Troy and Gabriella, but there’s a sincerity and sweetness to their onstage partnership that is likely to flourish as the run progresses.

This production does the original proud, and, with its infectious energy and positive message, it also has the potential to be the ‘start of something new’ for a whole new generation of theatregoers.

High School Musical is at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre to 3 January 2027. Book High School Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: High School Musical (Photos by Matt Crockett)