Anyone familiar with the theatre scene in York will know we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the copious amounts of talent the young people of the city hold.
Bring It On at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre (Wednesday 2 to Saturday 5 November) by York Stage was a testament to this.
The musical follows the story of Campbell, cheer royalty at Truman High School who was living her high school dream – until she is forced to switch schools and attend the neighbouring Jackson High School for her senior year.
There she finds herself in a brand new dynamic – away from her friends and boyfriend and worse without a cheer team to lead. However, with her determination to fight back, she forms her very own squad by befriending headstrong Danielle and her fellow dance crew.
The choreography underpins the entirety of this musical. From one big dance/cheer number to another, Lesley Hill has done a wonderful job at bringing out the best in each and every individual.
The ensemble gave powerful performances hitting each demanding move with very few mistakes – it was often hard to know where to look, with constant thrilling stunts taking place which you did not want to miss!
The cast were highly professional throughout the show; with such a stripped-back set design it left opportunities for messy transitions, but instead these were seamless – and when you did see the cast preparing offstage, they were already poised and ready to perform.
Daisy Winbolt-Robertson was the perfect leading lady, who brought innocence and vulnerability to the role of Campbell. Her vocals were particularly impressive and deserved the warm reception she received after every solo number; she has a very bright future ahead of her.
Louana Tranmer portrayed the role of Danielle brilliantly and I particularly enjoyed the moments of dialogue between herself and Daisy throughout the show – their character development and friendship was heartwarming and believable to watch.
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Rose Scott was perfectly cast as the naive yet charming Bridget. From her first entrance in a hilarious mascot suit, she had the audience hooked on her every word. She has natural comic timing and her interactions with Oliver Lawery as Twig got some of the biggest laughs of the show.
Skylar (Kaia Stainton) and Kylar (Lilia Day) were also fantastic in their roles. Because of a couple of technical issues with microphones, we missed some of their dialogue which was a shame due to how outstanding they were throughout the show.
The cast, company and crew should be truly proud of themselves. Closing with the catchy number ‘I Got You’, it was hard for anyone to leave the theatre not feeling on top of the world.
I am excited to see what is next for York Stage and the talented cast as I know they will have very promising and exciting futures to come. They truly were ‘Legendary’!
Catch Bring It On at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre until Saturday 5 November. Tickets are available here.