The Mercury Theatre in Colchester puts on great shows like musical productions, one of them being School of Rock which was produced by Colchester Operatic Society. They worked with The Really Useful Group LTD which is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and promote amateurs in the industry and their careers.

School of Rock is a musical based off the successful movie in 2003; a withering artist who aspires to be a rock star – Dewey Finn seizes an opportunity to earn money by pretending to be a substitute teacher at prestigious school where he meets a variety of students who are under the pressure of achieving straight As with a tense headteacher that needs to let loose! Dewey teaches the fourth graders a range of rock knowledge alongside helping them discover their own talents and learn accomplishments in life are based on more than retaining the perfect GPA as they prepare for the Battle of Bands.

The Mercury Theatre had multiple sold out showings from October 5th to 8th by the youth and amateur theatre group - Colchester Operatic Society Second edition. The talent witnessed was unmatched as many young children had impeccable solos while also playing complex instruments flawlessly. The main character Dewey Finn was played by Will Hackett as he captivated the different aspects of his character impeccably as Dewey learnt, matured and even fell in love. I was particularly impressed by Niamh Cullen as she played Tomika, one of the young children who were in the band. Her voice had great power and a great stage presence.

The ensemble had great harmony together and overall left me impressed as they cohesively performed several songs together. All the songs were catchy, particularly ‘Stick it to the man’ as I have found myself replaying it once I got home. The song was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber but without Will Hackett and his impressive skills, talent and energy, it would have not been as phenomenal. All the children were truly inspiring to watch, and I cannot emphasise how blown away I was while watching William Porter who played the guitar as the character of Zack. He, at such a young age, captured a true rock star! The teamwork was great regardless, but every single performer added their individual touch to the show and refined the experience further for me.

School of Rock is a ‘Feel good’ musical that I thoroughly enjoyed that surpassed my already high expectations. I am now impatiently waiting for the next play produced by Colchester Operatic Society- ‘My Fair Lady’ in the upcoming season.