Penrith Musical Comedy Company: School of Rock - review by Corina Thompson

I attended the opening night of School of Rock at the Q Theatre, Penrith, with no preconceptions whatsoever. I did not look to see who was in the cast, I did not know any of the songs from the show, and I had no idea of the actual story. I had a vague notion that Andrew Lloyd Webber had something to do with the show, but I wanted to see it without preconceived ideas.

Half an hour after the show was supposed to start, the audience was getting restless. All snacks had been munched, all drinks had been guzzled, and there was still no sign of action on stage. After 40 minutes, the director, Grant Jones, appeared and explained there were technical difficulties communicating with the sound and lighting crew, which would be sorted in 10 minutes. Go to the bar and get a drink was his advice, and many people followed it.

A huge cheer went up when the show actually started at 8.15, and I hoped the cast, especially the younger members, would not be too nervous after such a long delay starting their first performance. I needn’t have worried, the student songs were wonderful. The school song was very impressive, and their enthusiasm underlined how much effort the younger members had put into the show.

The funniest characters were Patty (Anastasia Denton) and Ned (Callum Gilbert), whose rapport and physical comedy were so entertaining. Dewey Finn (Jay Mullins) was the most enthusiastic member of the cast, and he put a lot of effort into his movement around the stage whilst singing. His stamina was amazing; it was, a long show and he didn’t get many breaks during it. For me, Rosalie Mullins (Tracy Payne) was the standout, especially in Act 2 when she revealed her thoughts and feelings in song, rather than having to be the formidable principal of Horace Green School.

The ensemble members provided a solid background to the storyline and sang their parts admirably, but the songs were not the highlight of the show, to be remembered and sung by all who came to watch. Rather it was the sheer joy on the faces of the young cast as they performed their hearts out in this fun show, which highlighted their musical theatre talents. Congratulations to the musical director, Fatima De Assis, who encouraged them on their rock journey; they will never forget this magical experience.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, no production is without faults. I think that some of the scene transitions could be tightened to keep pace and ensure smooth changes of props. Additionally, I found that the audio mixing will need to be refined. At times, I found it challenging to hear dialogue when music underscored. Hopefully, this was sorted out for subsequent performances.

When all was said and done, I found School of Rock to be a delightful night at the theatre, full to the brim with talented young performers and well worth the wait. Hats off to Director Grant Jones and his entire team for a great production.