London teenagers are set to rock the stage with School of Rock, a musical based on the 2003 blockbuster film of the same name.
“I think we’re all trying to find our voice,” said director Lezlie Wade. “If you see young people brave enough to get on stage and [perform] a play that is written by Julian Fellowes, and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, I think you can sort of appreciate that if they can do it, anyone can.”
The show follows wannabe rockstar Dewey Finn, who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep-school. With his guidance, he turns a group of straight-A students into a rock band.
Wade says that coming from a professional background with limited budgets and crews something like this is a breath of fresh air. “If you get 15 people in a cast, that’s really huge. Here we have 34 young people on stage. I don’t often get to work with 34 people of any age, and this is really exciting and really a thrill to have that opportunity to work with them.”
“I’ve been in many productions, but this is bigger than anything I’ve ever done,” Marian Viancy Mamigo, who plays Summer Hathaway, said. “It makes me feel more professional, being in this area makes me do my best. I’m in an area I can grow and see how far I’ve come from a smaller theatre.”
The production runs until October 3rd. Tickets can be bought online, by phone, or at the box office at 471 Richmond Street.
