We all had high hopes for the first-ever non-replica production of High School Musical when it was announced that it would premiere at The Lowry. However, I hadn’t quite anticipated the standard of the show we were going to get.
The promotion for Hope Mill Theatre’s production of High School Musical has been everywhere you look in Manchester, as well as across the online theatre community. The excitement around reliving such a nostalgic musical was obvious, but when you’re taking on a franchise that an entire generation knows almost word for word, there’s inevitably the worry that a new interpretation won’t quite live up to it.
Those worries weren’t necessary.
This production reaches expectations and then some, bringing fresh life into a franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary this year without losing the details that made people fall in love with East High in the first place.
High School Musical reaches expectations and then some.
Walking into the theatre, East High is already waiting for you.
The stage is dominated by a basketball court, complete with the East High Wildcats branding and bleacher-style seating positioned directly on stage. Rather than relying on a traditional set that disappears and reappears between scenes, the basketball court serves as the foundation of the entire production, manipulated and adapted as the story unfolds between classrooms, detentions, and basketball practice.
The immersive element extends beyond those sitting on stage. Throughout the show, cast members appear through the stalls, running directly past audience members, while those who opted for the on-stage seating become honorary East High students for the evening. Even outside the main action, there’s an awareness of the audience that makes the production feel less contained by the edges of the stage.
While I was sitting in the stalls for the official opening night, I had the pleasure of watching the show from the on-stage seating prior to this performance. Both arrangements provide very different perspectives. Sitting amongst the action gives you a brilliant view of the smaller interactions and puts you ridiculously close to the cast, while the regular seating allows you to appreciate just how much is happening across the full basketball court.
The Y2K stamp
The Y2K aesthetic is having a major resurgence this year, so High School Musical couldn’t have returned at a better time.
No detail feels missed, right down to the connections between Ryan and Sharpay’s bedazzled outfits. The early-2000s stamp is all over the production, with costumes and props ranging from sequinned styles to a pink Apple iPod Nano and flip phones. For the older audience members who grew up with the films, myself included, these details were very well received.
There’s also a careful balance between recreating the world people remember and allowing this production to establish its own identity. It would have been very easy to simply reproduce the Disney Channel film on stage, but this version feels much more interested in asking what High School Musical can look like as a live theatrical experience.
Choreography
Aaron Renfree is the choreographer for this production, joined by Associate Choreographer Jo Dyce, and their contribution makes one of the biggest impacts on the entire show.
While no detail feels overlooked in general, the choreography brings a fabulous energy that completely fills the basketball-court setting.
The audience’s experience has clearly been considered throughout. Bigger numbers, such as Stick to the Status Quo and Get’cha Head in the Game, feature an incredibly talented ensemble interacting with those sitting on the bleachers, while the rest of the audience watches this explosion of movement unfold across seemingly every corner of the stage.
The basketball sequences are particularly clever. Rather than basketball simply being part of the storyline, it becomes part of the choreography itself, with tricks, movement, and dance working together in a way that makes East High’s basketball team genuinely exciting to watch. The final basketball game sequence is also one of my personal highlights of the production.
And, naturally, Ryan gets his jazz squares.
The choreography soars throughout and gives the production the spectacle audiences were hoping for, while making full use of a staging concept that could easily have become restrictive in less capable hands.
Casting
There was plenty of conversation surrounding some of the casting decisions when this production was announced, but its key characters absolutely don’t miss.
Tobias Turley as Troy Bolton, paired with Lorena Correia as Gabriella Montez, beautifully portrays the soft, romantic connection we expect from the two leading roles. There’s a sweetness to their performances that feels natural rather than forced, which is particularly important when playing characters so closely associated with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens for an entire generation.
Caitlin Tipping and Luke Bayer as Sharpay and Ryan are the dynamic duo High School Musical fans were looking for. With exceptional on-stage chemistry, the pair bring all the sass associated with the iconic twins, while being given enough freedom to put their own stamp on them. Tipping’s mannerisms, attitude, and voice are exceptional, making her an ideal casting choice for the sparkly, pink-loving Sharpay Evans.
KayCee Stroh’s return to High School Musical is also a lovely addition. Having originally played Martha Cox in the films, she returns to East High as the expressive drama teacher Ms Darbus.
Stroh brings humour and glamour to the role, but there’s also something genuinely special about watching somebody with such a direct connection to the original franchise become part of this new interpretation. Unsurprisingly, she won the hearts of plenty of theatre fans in the audience who grew up watching her.
Stroh wasn’t the only celebrity casting decision, with Jason Donovan taking on Coach Bolton — Troy’s overbearing dad and coach of the East High basketball team.
In contrast to Stroh’s stellar performance, Donovan was, unfortunately, the weaker link for me. His accent was shaky, and there were moments where he appeared to struggle with the overall command of the role.
It doesn’t lower my overall opinion of the production because the standard surrounding him is so high, but the difference was noticeable. The rest of the cast appeared to throw absolutely everything into these characters and into the High School Musical world, whereas Donovan’s performance didn’t always feel as polished. That said, I must add that his official opening night performance was much stronger than the night before.
Whether that comes down to the performance itself or the creative direction, I can’t say. What I can say is that the strength of the production around him is more than enough to pull the show back up to an excellent standard.
Final thoughts
As someone who grew up watching High School Musical, I went into this production with high expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed.
What impressed me most is that Hope Mill Theatre hasn’t relied entirely on nostalgia to make it work. Yes, there are flip phones, jazz squares, and enough sparkly Y2K styling to satisfy those of us who remember watching the original film in 2006, but underneath all of that is a genuinely inventive piece of theatre.
The immersive staging gives the production its own visual identity, while making the audience feel involved in the world around them. Whether you’re sitting alongside the Wildcats on the bleachers or watching cast members bring the action out into the main audience, this doesn’t feel like a production keeping its audience politely at a distance.
Add exceptional choreography, a strong ensemble, and lead performances that understand why these characters remain so loved, and this feels like exactly the revival High School Musical needed for its 20th anniversary.
It manages to be nostalgic without simply recreating the past. And for a franchise with an audience who already knows exactly what they want from East High, that’s quite an achievement.
High School Musical plays at The Lowry before transferring to London. For anyone who grew up with the Wildcats, I’d absolutely recommend making the trip.
High School Musical is running at the Lowry Theatre until 19 Sep. Â Book your tickets now.
**Tickets gifted in exchange for an honest review
Kelsey Haslam is the founding editor of Magenta Adventures Travel Publication and a freelance travel writer with a focus on community-based travel, culture-led experiences, and theatre tourism. She is passionate about spotlighting lesser-known destinations and connecting travellers with meaningful, human-centred stories.
Her published work includes destination features and luxury hotel reviews for leading travel outlets such as A Luxury Travel Blog, Beau Monde Traveler, and Luxury Lifestyle Magazine.
Explore more about Kelsey’s background on the About Page.
