School of Rock – The Musical confirms Crawley date

School of Rock – The Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit, award-winning West End show, is heading to Crawley next year.
School of RockSchool of Rock
School of Rock

Its UK and Ireland 2021-22 tour brings it to the Hawth from January 17-22.

Spokeswoman Lorraine McGregor said: “Auditions are in full swing, but who will stick it to the man? Full casting will follow later this summer.

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“Based on the hilarious hit movie, this 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 – sensationally performed live by the production’s young actors every night with roof-raising energy! 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.

“Featuring 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and all the original songs from the movie, this high-octane smash delivers face-melting guitar riffs and touching romance in equally awesome doses.”

The production opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in December 2015 before quickly transferring to the West End and opening at the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne Theatre) in November 2016 to five-star reviews and widespread critical acclaim. It went on to win the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music. The Australian production opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne in October 2018 before embarking on a national tour of China and a short season in Korea before returning to Australia for seasons in Brisbane and Sydney.

School of Rock – The Musical features new music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Sister Act) and a book by Julian Fellowes. It is directed by Laurence Connor (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, London Palladium 2019) 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.

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Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer of some of the world’s best known musicals including Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera (which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary) and Sunset Boulevard. In New York, School of Rock – The Musical, a stage version of the movie, is currently running alongside Cats and Phantom of the Opera, equalling Lloyd Webber’s previous record of three shows running simultaneously on Broadway.

School of Rock has a book by Julian Fellowes, for which he received a Tony nomination. Julian is the creator, writer and executive producer of the worldwide hit TV series Downton Abbey, which has received 69 Emmy Award nominations, winning 15, including two awards for Fellowes.

Casting for the UK production is to be announced.

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