Curtain goes up on High School Musical

A theatre company in Wolverhampton will tonight become the first amateurs in the Midlands to perform the Disney classic High School Musical.

Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company will raise the curtain on a seven-show, five-day run at the Grand Theatre. Tonight's show will be the production's amateur Midlands premiere.

Thousands of tickets have already been sold for the run, with Saturday's matinee performance already sold out. The cast includes dozens of new actors who only joined the Penn-based group last summer when auditions for the show were held at the Grand.

Among the lucky hopefuls was Ty Harris, aged 19, from Dudley, who has landed the role as male lead Troy, a popular high school basketballer who bonds with newcomer Gabriella over a love of singing. The former Ellowes Hall Sports College pupil will star alongside Holly Stringfellow, aged 25, an admin worker who has been with the company 12 years and plays Gabriella.

Company boss Marcelle Rollings said: "It has been challenging putting together a show with so many new actors, but they have all been so enthusiastic. Some of the children, who are as young as 14, haven't ever done anything before so it will be their first time on a professional stage."

She added that the show has cost £70,000 to produce and was funded by ticket sales from the company's previous production Copacabana.

Tickets cost £5-£15 for the opening night, Wednesday and Saturday matinee shows, or £5-£16 for Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Friday and Saturday evening tickets cost £5-£17. To book call 01902 429212.