It would be all too easy to dismiss this production as just another cynical cash-in from the unstoppable High School Musical revenue juggernaut, but that would be doing a disservice to a show that left me with a broad grin on my face as I exited the theatre - and I'm probably a good 20 years past the age of its target audience.
David Simpatico's book actually improves on its source material, correcting some of the flaws that had always bothered me a little bit in the Disney Channel Original Movie. Admittedly, the plot is still pretty slight - we follow the East High Wildcats working at a luxurious country club during their summer break, in which the devious Sharpay plots to steal school hunk Troy (Liam Doyle) from his wholesome girlfriend Gabriella (Nikki Mae) - but the script has been peppered with extra gags that will fly over the heads of the pre-teens and give their chaperones a chuckle, including one superb reference to the characters' uncanny ability to look at a piece of sheet music and seemingly instantly perform the song in a multi-layered harmony with slick choreography. The denouement has been improved significantly too, and is now far more sympathetic to one character than the movie was, and without wishing to give too much away, sets a far better example to its attentive young audience.High School Musical 2 is at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 5th September 2009, and then around the country.
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