It’s all happening as the Liverpool Empire Youth Theatre return with another triumphant musical offering. Inspired by the noughties film which then went on to more success with multiple sequels, this Broadway hit takes the usual trope of high school romances and rivalries and adds a lot of cheer.
The show focuses on Campbell, a seventeen-year-old cheerleader, who’s world turns upside down as she changes school after finally achieving her dream of becoming captain. Not only is this school completely different, but it also doesn’t have a cheer squad! High- energy and relevant, this musical feels like a great choice for this talented group of youngsters. How refreshing to see teenagers actually playing teenagers!
From the get-go, the show relies on its leading lady to guide it onwards. The first three numbers come along pretty snappy, but there is no falter in Isabel Cosgrove’s performance. The protagonist cheerleader, Campbell, is instantly likeable, and Cosgrove handles difficult songs with the grace and vocal ability of a seasoned pro.
With sass and confidence to boot, Olivia Abassi is impressive as Jackson High’s Queen Bee, Danielle. Strutting onstage with great vocals, she opposes Campbell beautifully. Another standout performance as the sweet (spoilers) and sour Eva is Annabel Wright. Her villainous turn and performance of “Killer Instinct” was a particular highlight for me.
The cheerleader characters are very strong, thanks to shallow Skylar, (Izzy Chapelle) needy Kylar (Georgia Hames) and quirky Bridget (Amelie Pridgeon) making brilliant acting choices to complement their stunning vocals.
Not forgetting the boys, Joseph Bigley plays a very charming love interest, and Oscar Martin, Kalil Ahmed and Sean Brennan all bring humour and great stage presence.
Written by Tom Kitt and Lin Manuel-Miranda (pre-Disney and Hamilton fame), the score fuses together hip-hop with pop, and yet still feels authentically character driven and “musical theatre”. It’s a hard task for musical director Paul Lawton to take on this style, but I cannot tell you how impressed I was with the sound of these young performers. In choral parts as well as solos, the pop sound was evident, and the vocals soared higher than the cheer stunts.
Also, in keeping with the style was the choreography (by Lucy Kinsella and Laura Meeson). Whether cheer or hip-hop, the stage was filled with so much energy, and the “cheer squad” especially lit it up with fitting tricks and acrobatics.
Adorning the stage were bleachers and a couple of vertical screens, transporting the scenes seamlessly to different locations. The use of screen backdrops seems to be increasing nowadays, and sometimes I feel like it may be a “quick fix”, but here I thought it worked well. Showing menus at a restaurant, a school hallway, or a phone screen, it felt like a clever addition to the piece.
Massive congratulations to director Natalie Flynn and all involved in this company. It’s inspiring to see so many young performers with incredible potential having their chance to shine and I’m sure it won’t be the last time I see some of those faces onstage.
Reviewer: Coral Mourant
Reviewed: 16th August 2024
North West End UK Rating: