TOE-TAPPING TRIUMPH

WOW! Rotherham Teachers Student Academy certainly know how to put on a show and their latest offering of High School Musical 2 met the exceptionally high standards I have come to expect.It was this very same academy that first introduced me to the American

WOW! Rotherham Teachers Student Academy certainly know how to put on a show and their latest offering of High School Musical 2 met the exceptionally high standards I have come to expect.

It was this very same academy that first introduced me to the American phenomenon that is High School Musical and I was delighted to hear that they were having a bash at the sequel.

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High impact dance routines, larger than life characters and an explosion of both talent and colour on the stage, sitting just two rows back I felt the energy run through my veins throughout the performance at St Ann's Studio Theatre.

This is basic soap opera stuff, centring on the ups and downs of high school life, teenage tantrums and power struggles.

In the second offering, we meet the now famous characters of Gabriella Montez, Troy Bolton and the Evans siblings about to embark upon summer break and the prospect of a summer job.

The plot may be basic but this production was far from simple, with cutting-edge choreography, complex ballads and fast paced pop numbers.

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And I have to say, not one person fudged their lines or fluffed their footing, which is an incredible achievement and a sure fire indicator of the amount of hard work, passion and dedication this group of young people have yet again thrown into their performance.

Professional and polished, on the couple of occasions that their microphones lost sound, the cast never appeared unsettled.

And to put on a show of this size and pull it off, in a school based theatre deserves even more praise because it can not have been an easy feat.

Whether the stage is full, or with just one of two characters, wherever you look, everyone is giving 110 per cent, everyone is smiling and anyone knows exactly what they are doing.

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Particular praise goes to Alex Clifford as the bumbling Mr Fulton–he nailed the role and I particularly enjoyed his dancing in the finale.

Well done also to the lead characters, Josh Coburn (Troy) Alice Marshall (Gabriella) Sophie Barker (Sharpay Evans )and Jordan Chaim (Ryan Evans) whose turn it was to take the spotlight and who proved they could cut it as the lead.

But I do not envy the task of the directors who have to pick from such a talented crop.

I would advise anyone who has not seen the academy perform to book a ticket for their next offering because the ability, from the chorus to the main cast, is just superb.

Well done also to the team backstage for an all-round impressively produced, toe-tapping and hand-clapping victory.

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