High School Musical lands at Wembley Park's Troubadour, gym and all
The Wildcats return 20 years after the Disney Channel film, with on-court seating, a foyer karaoke booth and Harry Judd as Coach Bolton.
Nostalgia may be the keyword of 2026, and High School Musical has turned up right on cue. The Wildcats of East High are back at Wembley Park's Troubadour Theatre, 20 years after the original Disney Channel film, following a summer run in Salford.
The Upcoming reviewed the show and found it familiar but fresh, low stakes and high energy.
A gym instead of a West End stage
Staging it away from the usual West End gives the production room to play. According to The Upcoming, the Troubadour has built a custom school gymnasium set, complete with on-court audience seating.
Co-directors Joseph Houston and William Whelton lean hard into immersion. The review mentions crowd cams, a pre-show cheerleading tutorial and a karaoke booth in the foyer, while the cast roam freely through the audience.
The story you already know
The show is, by The Upcoming's account, remarkably faithful to the source. Basketball jock Troy Bolton (Tobias Turley) meets maths genius Gabriella Montez (Leonor Correia), and the pair fall in love over music despite belonging to different cliques.
Meanwhile, scheming siblings Sharpay (Caitlin Tipping) and Ryan Evans (Luke Bayer) are rivals for top billing in the school musical. Expect cheese, catchy numbers, competition and eventual camaraderie. The reviewer says the fan service rarely strays from the familiar, sometimes even delivering the same punchlines, while staying joyful and escapist.
What works, and what doesn't
The choreography gets the warmest praise. Aaron Renfree reimagined Get'Cha Head in the Game, and The Upcoming says its basketball choreography almost defies belief. Stick to the Status Quo satisfies with its staging detail, and We're All in This Together is described as infectiously energetic.
There are several new songs. Duets such as Start of Something New and Breaking Free become wider ensemble choruses, which the reviewer says makes sense for the format, though more of Correia and Turley's harmonies would have been welcome.
The reviewer also notes that some scene transitions are abrupt and certain characters lack depth. The verdict is that this is less a show for new students than for an audience who did their homework 20 years ago.
The cast
The Upcoming calls the whole cast slick and convincing, singling out the double act of Bayer and Tipping and Turley's commitment to the role. McFly's Harry Judd plays Coach Bolton, though the review finds him underused.
The scene-stealer, it says, is KayCee Stroh, who played Martha in the original film and now plays the eccentric theatre teacher Ms Darbus. The reviewer calls it a brilliant move that more than pays off.
By the jam-packed curtain call, the reviewer suggests, you will leave with the soundtrack blasting in your head like it's 2006 again.
Know before you go
- Where: Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
- Dates: 12 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
- Running time: around two hours, according to The Upcoming
- Booking: via the theatre's website
Sources: The Upcoming
