High School Musical - review

From the eardrum-bursting screams that rang out as the curtain rose at a packed Grand last night, you'd have thought the McFly boys were in town again.

The atmosphere for the High School Musical juggernaut's entry into Wolverhampton was pure pop concert, fuelled by young fans in East Side High costumes clutching glittery pom-poms and singing every word of each catchy classic.

And the hottest ticket in town – it's been a sell-out for weeks – certainly matched the energy and excitement of its adoring fans.

It's a cross between Grease and the kids from Fame and is classic, cherry-on-the-top Disney, telling the story of basketball star Troy Bolton and bookish new girl Gabriella Montez and their quest to follow their dream of singing and to avoid the stereotypes they feel caged into.

It's raucous, noisy, high-energy stuff, with fast-paced scene changes that keep the plot zipping along and song and dance routines that have those glittery pom-poms shaking wildly in the air. As with much great Disney fare, the songs are the star of the show. Numbers like We're All In This Together, Start Of Something New and Bop To The Top have seeped into the skulls of millions of parents of children entranced by the High School Musical phenomenon.

They're performed brilliantly by a great cast led by Ashley Day and Lorna Want as the heroes and backed by a wonderful Helen George as the scheming Sharpay Evans.

High School Musical is at The Grand until Saturday. It is a sell-out with only returns available. Call 01902 429212.

By Jamie Summerfield.

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