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Some of the cast of Highlands Intermediate’s 2023 production School of Rock, from left, Abigail Williamson, 12, Layla O’Brien, 11, Charlotte Williamson, 12, Emily Woller, 11, Harper Scrivener, 11, and Eddie Wallace, 13.
Tecwyn King used to be a piano player, but now he is showing his students how to rock.
King is staging School of Rock with his Highlands Intermediate students this week, bringing the influential coming-of-age musical to life for two days in the school hall.
The musical is based on a 2003 movie about struggling rock star Dewey Finn who impersonates his teacher friend Ned Schneebly to earn money and ends up forming a high school rock band from reluctant but talented students.
King, who is now a teacher himself (a real one), said the movie, or more precisely the character of Lawrence the keyboardist, changed his life.
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“I used to be a piano player. When I watched that with my friends they said ‘you are Lawrence, you are a loser’. I felt really sad about that and learned to play guitar.”
Audience members may see King, who is actually in his own local rock band, on stage next week, but the real stars of the show are the cast of more than 100 students.
Those in the lead roles may be young but some of them already have years of experience treading the boards.
Two of them, twins Abigail Williamson and Charlotte Williamson, even have their own agent.
ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
There are two performances only of the school’s School of Rock production.
“You know, to book TV shows. When auditions come up, she books us,” said Charlotte, who is one of two playing the role of Patty DiMarco, of domineering non-rock music loving partner of Ned Schneebly.
One of the Dewey Finns is played by Layla O’Brien, 11, who wowed audiences last year as Matilda, while Harper Scrivener, 11, will be bringing his love of singing to the role of Ned Schneebly.
“I’ve done two productions for my old school and I’ve been on stage a lot. I’m quite used to doing solo singing,” he said with practised nonchalance.
The oldest lead of the pack is Eddie Wallace, who can play a decent alto-saxophone and reached the milestone age of 13 last weekend.
“I’m not the strongest singer,” he said. “But I look like Ned.”
Tickets to the two evening shows have already sold out. There are two matinee performances on Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets available through iTicket.
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