By Zak Muggleton, Fourth Year Medicine
Stage Musicals Society’s (SMS) High School Musical performance was anything but high-school quality. Every member of the cast, crew, band, and backstage team came together in perfect harmony to produce something truly special. As the team literally got their flowers following the show, the mass of talented young people standing on that stage had an immense amount to be proud of.
From the first beat, we were inundated with energy and pizzazz as the lights lit up red, and the fabulous set was revealed (designed by Alisa Philbin and Macy Lee). Philbin and Lee paid immense attention to detail, which brought its own hilarity, with the math on the whiteboard during the classroom scene being absurdly difficult, and the mathematics newspaper being headlined “Crystal Math.” Huge red banners lined the side of the stage, complementing the principal dancers on stage in their mandatory red ‘wildcats’ cheerleading outfits and eye-catching silver pompoms (a credit to the producers Isla Plant, Jess Bilsby, Ash Mallen, and Rhys Rogers for their costuming). In a show littered with questionable writing and, by nature, dead space during the transitions between songs, it became evident that energy was imperative. SMS did not disappoint. Everyone in the cast acted continuously, even when they knew another cast member was having their moment, with huge smiles on their faces. In particular, however, the principal dancers (Mia Matthews, Molly Beech, Eliza Nicholson, Sadie Smith, Rose Arcos, and Sasha Dewar) not only showed that they are impeccable dancers but injected the show with high doses of energy every time they leaped onto the stage, carrying the audience throughout the performance. Additionally, the ‘hairography’ was mesmerizing; the way these talented dancers flipped their hair took it to the next level. Similarly, Jackie Scott (played by Csenge Szabo) had the same effect, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces every time the spotlight found her. Her almost breathless delivery, assisting her ‘awkward’ portrayal of the character, was comedic excellence and showed how much talent she possesses. Furthermore, another cast member bringing energy and vocals during ‘Bop To the Top’ was Zeke Baylor (played by Rhys Rogers), with a ‘silent countdown’ that will rule the ages.
The show definitely demonstrated that when an actor is talented, they can steal the show with any role, however big or small. Taylor McKessie (played by Rosy Constanti) nailed the characterization and accent of this 2000s character, catapulting us all back to the time perfectly from the first line she spoke. Her show partner, Chad (played by Erwan Fayolle), similarly shone, having great chemistry with Constanti, and consistently bringing high-quality acting and vocals to every scene he starred in. Another standout was Martha Cox (played by Ellen Corbett), who showed her vocal prowess by nailing her solo and all the high, belty harmony lines to follow. Furthermore, her pop and lock got the whole audience whooping. Last but by no means least, Coach Bolton (played by Dan Lodge) commanded respect on stage, which was especially impressive when he acted opposite a comedic powerhouse, bouncing perfectly off her enigmatic presence to elevate both of their performances.
But speaking of Miss Darbus (played by Erin Brady), what a stellar performance. She could have played the character in the beloved film series, and no one would bat an eyelid. The way she delivers a line such as ‘I’ll eat my gong’ and has the entire audience in hysterics is a wonder, and I speak for everyone who saw the show when I say that we hope she is incredibly proud of herself. Another incredible performance was the portrayal of Kelsi (played by Ella Fairley), who was by far the cutest character on stage. Fairley played the character perfectly, with a sunkenness that was undeniably due to the constant belittling from the school’s bully. But even so, Fairley still managed to show that she was being modest, with her talent and quiet confidence bursting through. Even more impressively, she was actually playing the piano on stage (or maybe she did such a good job pretending that I couldn’t tell). The audience was elated to see Kelsi and Jackie Scott running off hand-in-hand at the end of the show.
Moving on to the shining main four, Ryan (played by Parus Mehra) did himself and his talents total justice. He is a true triple threat, and it showed. During ‘What I’ve Been Looking For,’ he tapped his way through, singing his heart out and acting his chequered pink vest off. The part seemed written for him. Mehra also contributed to the best duo in the show, Ryan and Sharpay (played by Jess Bilsby), whose dynamic was infectious. Bilsby absolutely crushed her challenging, iconic role. It goes without saying that her singing, acting, dancing, and comedic timing were at a professional level, but it was more than that. She made the role her own, bringing a sharpness to the role not seen before. Sharpay was scary, which, in my opinion, is more consistent with her character’s motivations than the original portrayal. She was more ‘Regina George’ than ‘Regina George’ could ever be. Even more than that, she was practically shouting her way through some of her lines and still managed to not lose her voice by the final show, in fact quite the opposite. Moving on to the leads, the portrayal of Gabriella Montez (played by Izzy Peter) was flawless. Famously, leading roles in musicals are hollow and boring, but not when Peter plays this one. She brought a humanness to the role that only an extremely talented performer can, accompanied by vocals that made the audience’s jaws drop. Her emotionality in ‘When There Was Me and You’ brought a depth to the show, which is especially impressive in a show with famously minimal depth. Furthermore, at one moment, she broke the fourth wall and looked at the audience after a frustrating interaction with Sharpay, as if to say, ‘Can you believe her?’ Only true comedic geniuses are known for looking into the camera with ease and composure, and she nailed it. Her show partner, Troy (played by Will Priestley), had to reach for the stars to keep up with Peter, and the stars he reached. Right off the bat, he brought the perfect preppy vibe to the character and didn’t waiver at all under the pressure of being a leading man. In a famously vocally demanding role, even on his fourth performance, he was hitting every note and sailing through each song with his lovely tone. His vocals especially shone during ‘What I’ve Been Looking For (Reprise),’ where he impressed the entire audience with his high, sustained belts, allowing Peter to come through and harmonize perfectly. Finally, as a critique of the script, the writing was quite difficult to hear at times. It contained words like ‘demeritorious,’ which was entirely incongruent with the rest of the script, trying to equate Gabriella Montez as historically consequential as Rosa Parks (truly perplexing), and making Priestley deliver some of the worst lines in musical theatre ever written. However, he embraced the hilarity of these lines and seemed to be in on the joke. This helped the audience and the cast get through these moments.
Moving on to the assembly of the show, the direction (by Sofia Walker and Celine Obadiah) was fantastic, with every choice seeming thoughtful and cohesive. A few moments to mention were when the whole cast came around Troy to hold the imagined ball that he was crushing under the weight of, the audition sequence, where all members of the cast shone, staged in such a captivating way, and the callback scene, where the stairs, stage, and floor space were all utilized so cleverly to display all three events occurring at the same time. This show’s success is a credit to them. Moving on to the choreography, Arabella Head and Parus Mehra clearly had such a discrete vision, and it was executed with sharpness and style. All of the choreography was congruent with the show and spanned a range of styles and difficulties. The dancing truly made the show, and I cannot communicate how talented these two are. Finally, the musical directors (Seb Foxwell and Ella Fairley) are beyond talented. I cannot speak for the process itself, but they clearly took the time to make sure the cast was comfortable with their roles vocally and to teach each individual harmony line to get the group numbers sounding full and layered. Foxwell also led the band incredibly well, with the band showing once again that no one else could do it like they can. How lucky the cast and production team are to have such a talented group of musicians.
If you weren’t lucky enough to catch this show, then I feel sorry that you missed such a gem. However, you can keep an eye out on their Instagram (@luusms) for updates about upcoming shows and performances, and maybe even get involved! You’d be silly not to.
THE WORSLEY TIMES 