If you’re not a fan of the High School Musical films or you are not accompanying a young fan then there’s a strong argument for saying you really have no business to be attending the show anyway - so leave the cynicism at home.
Working along the lines that you are fulfilling one of the two roles, you’ll have to admit the stage version of the second instalment is everything it ought to be.
Okay, it’s saccharine and full of morals and worthy life lessons, but it is also extremely well executed and actually a lot of fun.
Following the classic American jock/poisonous rich bitch/good girl love triangle formula, the youngest audience members bask in the purity of the central boyfriend and girlfriend duo - pretty boy Troy (Liam Doyle) and wholesome Gabriella (Nikki Mae).
Yet anyone with an ounce of naughtiness in their nature is more entertained by the brilliant Lauren Hall as the spoilt Sharpay Evans who is on a mission to snag Troy for herself. All shiny blonde hair, cute swimsuits and matching pink heels, Hall clearly relishes her chance to play the smiling assassin.
Nikki Mae’s kind and wise Gabriella makes a nice contrast, although why she’d be attracted to someone as spineless as Troy is never explored or even acknowledged. That’s not to say Liam Doyle isn’t good. He sings well and he does his best, but my word Troy is dull. Except when he spices things up, fleetingly singing the rocky Bet On It.
Les Dennis is a brilliant anchor to proceedings as Mr Fulton, the country club manager who employs the Wildcats gang and opens the doors to all the teenage angst that accompanies them. With witty asides directed chiefly at the adults in the audience, Dennis gives a charismatic portrayal of a more rounded character.
Ultimately the show is about music and dancing, and fortunately the tunes and moves are of a very high standard. The witty Fabulous and the slushy You are the Music in Me are highlights and the excellent dancer Matt Kennedy (Sharpay’s brother Ryan) is a joy to watch.
The sets are particularly innovative, especially the playfully perspective altering pool side scene.
High School Musical 2 was brought to the stage to satisfy a loyal, enthusiastic and impressionable fan base. It may not be the epitome of theatrical perfection but for the cheering, exuberant tweenies that make up the majority of the audience, it’s all things fabulous.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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