SCHOOL OF ROCK now booking to 20 October 2019
by Best of Theatre Staff on Friday 13 July 2018, 9:39 am in West End News & Gossip
From 22 August 2018, term will begin for the year three cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Olivier award-winning production of School of Rock – The Musical at the newly named Gillian Lynne Theatre. Today sees the release of a further 350,000 tickets for this hit West End production, now booking to 20 October 2019. Based on the iconic film of the same title, School of Rock - The Musical sees the kids from Dewey’s band compete in the legendary Battle of the Bands and embrace the power of rock!
Craig Gallivan will lead the cast in the role of Dewey Finn with Laura Tebbutt as Rosalie Mullins, Alan Pearson as Ned Schneebly, Michelle Francis as Patty DiMarco and Jake Sharp who will play Dewey Finn at certain performances. The remaining adult cast comprise John Addison, Nick Butcher, Rob Falconer, Martina Isibor,Claudia Kariuki, Jessica Louise Parkinson, Richard Morse, Andy Rees, Hannah Stratton, Alex Tomkins and James Wolstenholme with swings Paul Kemble, Jessica Kirton, Billy Mitchell, Catherine Morris and Andy Prosser.
As well as the show entering its third year in the West End, in October this year an Australian production of School of Rock – The Musical will open at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne. The Broadway production continues at the Winter Garden Theatre and the US national touring production is currently booking to September 2018.
Joining the adult cast are three teams of twelve kids, who make up Dewey’s band, and play live at every performance. From 22 August 2018 the kids cast comprise Albert Atack (ten years old from Sheffield), Amos Mayland (ten years old from Cornwall) and Oscar Rice (eleven years old from London) who will play Zack; Jamal Ahmed (twelve years old from Surrey), Jasper Bew (eleven years old from London) and Nayan Gupta (ten years old from Sheffield) who will play Freddy; Noah Gupta-Wright (twelve years old from London), Alfie Humphreys (eleven years old from Bedfordshire) and Tom Kochalski (twelve years old from South Wales) who will play Lawrence; Carys John(ten years old from Wiltshire), Amelie Leatherland (twelve years old from Brighton) and Ellie Wilcox (eleven years old from Essex) who will play Katie; Jack Gale (eleven years old from Hertfordshire), Jakub Kopec (eleven years old from Surrey) and Jensen York (twelve years old from Warwickshire) who will play Billy; Amelie Green(eleven years old from London), Anya Hewett (ten years old from County Durham) and Éibhleann Rose McCormack (ten years old from West Sussex) who will play Summer; Kaylah Black (twelveyears old from London), Sara Sheen (twelve years old from Manchester) and Charis Claresta Tetteh (twelve years old from Essex) who will play Tomika; Adam Djazel (ten years old from London), Harley Gallacher (twelveyears old from Kent) and Stanley Voss (eleven years old from Buckinghamshire) who will play James; Calypso Bailey (twelve years old from Essex), Ellie Kit Jones (ten years old from London) and Shani Roberts (ten years old from Essex) who will play Marcy;Harry Linacre Brown (ten years old from London), Charlie Gallacher (twelve years old from Kent) and Samuelle John-Brown (twelve years old from Buckinghamshire) who will play Mason; Jasmine Brightmore (eleven years old from London), Lia Summer Higgs (eleven years old from Essex) and Shaye Temple (eleven years old from London) who will play Shonelle; Zoe Coleman (twelve years old from London), Aoife Connelly (ten years old from Essex) and Frankie-Mae Garner (eleven years old also from Essex) who will play Sophie.
Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.
School of Rock – The Musical features music from the movie, as well as new music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes. School of Rock - The Musical is directed by Laurence Connor with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, set and costume designs by Anna Louizos,lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Mick Potter, music supervision by John Rigby with Matt Smith as musical director.
Continuing the search for the opportunity to ‘join the band’, further kids open auditions will take place later this year in Plymouth on 8 September, in Manchester on 22 September, in London on 17 and 18 October for musicians, and on 13 and 15 November for ensemble. If you are between 8 – 12 years old and play a rock instrument (guitar, bass, piano, and/or drums) or sing, registration and further details can be found by contacting Jessica Ronane Casting at rock@jessicaronane.com or at www.schoolofrockthemusical.co.uk/auditions.
Produced by Paramount Pictures, the 2003 hit film School of Rock was directed by Richard Linklater and starred Jack Black in a career-defining performance.
School of Rock — The Musical is produced in the West End by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group and Warner Music Group & Access Industries with Madeleine Lloyd Webber as Executive Producer.