Review of ‘School of Rock’ at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, London

Living in London means I have relatively easy access to the West End, so I thought I would utilise a day off to head into the city and watch a show. I went to see School of Rock which was incredible. All the cast members are super talented and they all play their own instruments live each night. It’s a feel-good show with laughter, great music and even a few touching moments. Definitely worth a watch.

School of Rock plays at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Drury Lane, which is just a short walk from Leicester Square and the rest of Central London. It’s a really easy place to find, it’s within walking distance of multiple tube stations and bus stops and it sports a large poster of the cast so it’s pretty easy to spot. There’s also a number of shops, restaurants and pubs nearby so you can grab a bite or drink before or after the show.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive night however. I paid just £15 for my tickets and I managed to be sat on the front row of the balcony with a great view of stage. There are often special deals on West End shows, especially if you’re buying tickets on short notice. It’s best to shop around and get discounted tickets where possible, theatres like to fill their seats so will offer lower priced tickets in order to fill the whole theatre. The Gillian Lynne is also a relatively small theatre so they’re aren’t particularly any bad seats so don’t be put off thinking the cheap tickets will be bad seats. I had a great view for £15 instead of the £42 I would have had to pay for full price.

School of Rock is also a popular show for large groups, particularly school groups – which I found slightly odd considering the swearing in some of the songs however I can see why it’s a better choice for schools than some of the other more traditional shows on the West End. There was definitely a lot of humour in it and I think it’s good for kids to see that they can be whatever they want to be and that children do have a voice (I would recommend Matilda the Musical for that as well). I also remember loving the Jack Black film as a child so I can understand it being a family-friendly event. The musical basically follows the film exactly except with a few more songs and more talent (if I recall correctly) so it’s still worth the watch even if you’ve seen the film a million times.

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