High School Musical at Troubadour Wembley Park: reviews and press night round-up

The reviews are in for Disney's High School Musical at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, and the critics have come away cheering. The production opened to press on Tuesday 20 October 2026, and its basketball court staging, its energy and its nostalgia have won warm notices, even if not every reviewer was sold on the singing. See High School Musical dates and tickets.

What did WhatsOnStage say?

Writing for WhatsOnStage on 20 October, Hang Yuen opened with "What a thrilling performance!" and called the stage design "a particular triumph". The review praised the way the show turns the theatre into a live sporting event, complete with an overhead screen, a kiss cam and locker doors that become pop up stages, including the rooftop setting for the duet between Tobias Turley as Troy and Leonor Correia as Gabriella. Caitlin Tipping and Luke Bayer were described as slick and polished as Sharpay and Ryan, and the return of KayCee Stroh was singled out as a delightful bridge between the film and the stage.

The reservations were about the vocals. WhatsOnStage felt the harmonies between Troy and Gabriella "occasionally lack cohesion" and that Turley's singing sometimes fell short of the emotional depth the material needs. Tipping's vocal performance, by contrast, was called "nothing short of extraordinary".

What did Theatre Weekly say?

Theatre Weekly was even more enthusiastic. In his review on 20 October, Greg Stewart called the show "An absolute slam dunk" and wrote that "the sheer joy of this production feels completely fresh". He admitted that David Simpatico's book is cheesy and often saccharine, but said that is part of its charm, and he gave much of the credit to designer Andrew Exeter for transforming the venue into a school gymnasium with courtside seating.

Where WhatsOnStage had doubts about the leads, Theatre Weekly had none. "The night, however, belongs to Tobias Turley and Leonor Correia," Stewart wrote, finding their chemistry immediate and entirely convincing. He also praised Harry Judd for bringing warmth and authority to Coach Bolton, Stroh's eccentric Ms Darbus, and the double act of Jordan Benjamin and Char Burnett as Chad and Taylor.

So is it worth seeing?

Both reviews agree on the essentials. The staging is inventive, the choreography is exhilarating and the show delivers exactly the feel good night out that fans of the films will want, with the biggest debate being over how the two leads sound together.

Who was at the press night?

McFly's Tom Fletcher was in the audience to cheer on his bandmate Judd, and the guests also included Les Dennis, Gaby Roslin, Candice Brown, Montanna Thompson and Kitty Scott Claus.

Who made the show?

The production is directed by Joseph Houston and William Whelton, with choreography by Aaron Renfree. It comes from Hope Mill Theatre and Chris Harper Productions in association with Lowry, and it played a summer run in Salford before transferring to London. It arrives in the film's 20th anniversary year, with the songs that made it a phenomenon, among them Breaking Free, Get'cha Head in the Game, Stick to the Status Quo and We're All in This Together. For the full line-up, read our story on the full cast and new trailer.

How long is it running?

High School Musical is booking at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre until 3 January 2027, which makes it a strong pick for the Christmas holidays and the New Year break.

Photo: Matt Crockett