School of Rock
Philip & Julie McStraw
20 August 2026
School of Rock the Musical is based on the blockbuster 2003 film starring Jack Black, and has been reinvented for the stage, with equally incredible success, by Andrew Lloyd Webber working with Glenn Slater and Julian Fellows. One thing for certain is that the film is being shown, and the musical is being performed, somewhere in world and at any given moment in time. Now the Poulner Players have brought this high-energy feel-good story to Ringwood Waldorf School, a fitting setting, for us to enjoy this week.
The prime character is oafish Dewey Finn who is a failed rock singer and guitarist who has been forcibly ejected from his band ‘No Vacancy’. He has no job to go to plus, worse still, no money to pay his rent. That is until he is improbably mistakenly offered a temporary position as a stand-in teacher at a prestigious prep school. The imposter has no teaching qualifications and no teaching experience. Once there, he discovers hidden musical talent amongst his class of students, which he brings together, as a band called ‘School of Rock’, in an attempt to win an upcoming Battle of The Bands contest, and $20,000 in prize money.
Although the story line is formulaic, with no real surprises, tension builds up along the way by friendships and family relationships becoming tested to the hilt. Indeed, to quote from the programme notes ‘at its heart School of Rock is a feelgood story about finding your voice, embracing individuality and the transformative power of rock’n’roll’, – which is very aspirational and ultimately satisfying. So, do ‘School of Rock’ win the contest? Well to answer that question here would only spoil things. Let’s just say ‘School of Rock’ end the show with a rousing encore, and, judged by audience reaction on the opening night, everyone goes home with big smiles on their faces.
In addition to Dewey Finn, played with gusto by Poulner Players débutee, Damian Quinn, there are three other main characters – School Principal Miss Mullins, played by a prim and proper Tamsin Barnes (until alcohol reveals her underlying personality), Dewey’s best friend and actual teacher Ned Schneebly, played by Scott Douglas who was perfect in the part; and lastly Ned’s nagging girlfriend Patty Di Marco, excellently played by Phoebe Heron. However, the real stars of the show are the young people playing the parts of the students and the band entourage. There were 12 of them and each and every one of them were simply great. That’s not to forget the junior ensemble, and the other cast members who played the parts of the Teachers and Parents, plus, of course, the band ‘No Vacancy’.
The staging of School of Rock the Musical is without doubt an ambitious project and Producer Scott Douglas, Director Becky North, together with the entire production faculty and crew have managed to pull it off with real success. They also produced a high-quality Show Programme full of background information and commentary, which would be the envy of many a West End show. The Ringwood Waldorf School provides a fantastic venue for live theatre with a multi-purpose auditorium that can accommodate an impressive stage including super lighting and sound systems.
Poulner Players’ School of Rock the Musical will be rocking out again on Thursday evening, 20 August, with two further performances on Saturday 22 August. Tickets are still available and, allowing this is at short notice, get along there if you can. A thumping good time is guaranteed!
