King David crowns stage with Queen anthems

King David High School Linksfield’s production of We Will Rock You, directed by Debra Mizrachi, underscored the power of technology, while drawing upon the nostalgia of the rock and roll age. Ben Elton’s jukebox musical, featuring songs from Queen’s iconic discography, was performed from 17 to 19 March, bringing electric energy to the school hall.

The opening group number, a rendition of Radio Gaga introduced a group of subservient, robot-like students, along with their teacher, played by Ariella Hirsch, living on the futuristic, dystopic “iPlanet”, controlled by the corporation “Globalsoft”. Within this fictional world, individuals are forced to consume the same computer-generated media and think the same thoughts. Instruments are forbidden, along with anything else that promotes creativity and free thought.

As the mass of students left the stage, the audience met the young outsider, who goes by the name Galileo Figaro (Luke Mostert). After being scolded by his teacher for wanting to make music, he broke out into an emotive performance of I Want to Break Free. Mostert’s voice shone in Freddie Mercury’s vocal stylings, an impressive feat for any actor, let alone a high school student.

As the story progressed, it was soon discovered that there were many more nonconformists on iPlanet. The young goth schoolgirl, Scaramouche (Demi Cohen), who later became the love interest of Galileo, sang a passionate take on Somebody to Love as other classmates mocked her for standing out.

The young misfits were confronted by two “bohemians” trying to make music, Oz (Leah Kerr-Phillips), named after Ozzy Osbourne, and Brit (Jaxon Cohen), named after Britney Spears. After giving a standout performance of I Want it All, the pair took Galileo and Scaramouche back to their own haven, The Heartbreak Hotel.

The rest of the bohemians at the hotel, whose names are also eponyms of various rock legends, were led by Buddy (Eliana Mervis) in their quest to fulfil a prophecy and bring back “real rock and roll”. The group welcomed the newcomers, explaining their mission and backstory with a moving rendition of No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young), after which the group remembered the true reason that music was made through the song Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

The villain of the story, Killer Queen (Jessica Defries), exuded extravagance and provided ample comic relief in her performance of the Queen song by the same name. At the end of act one, however, Killer Queen’s right-hand man, Khashoggi (Gadi Crouse), and other Globalsoft officials raided the Heartbreak Hotel, killing Brit and arresting the rest of the bohemians, leaving behind only Galileo and Scaramouche.

The second act of the play involved more tension and higher stakes, with the rest of the group having been detained and the young couple fighting. However, there were comic moments interspersed throughout, such as a reference to Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and many other modern hits as well as classic rock songs.

The intricate set design laid out the world of the play, with TV screens with repeated images, representing the Globalsoft corporation, dominating one side of the stage. The other side contained more retro technology, such as radios and older TVs, a motorbike, colourful graffiti, and platformed staging, which contrasted the conformity of the cyber corporation.

Hannah Rudnicki’s choreography not only highlighted the talented cast, but also conveyed the concept of cyberspace and widespread control versus creativity and individualism. The dancers moved as one in the opening scenes of each act, which took place inside Globalsoft’s headquarters, while dances at the Heartbreak Hotel were a lot more fluid and unique to each character.

The costumes furthered this juxtaposition, with dancers wearing matching white and silver outfits in the world of Globalsoft, as opposed to crimped hair, mismatched band tees, fishnets, and leather boots at the Heartbreak Hotel. Killer Queen’s costume embodied the futuristic atmosphere with its rigid structure and blingy details.

The triumphant ending was followed by an encore of Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring the entire cast on stage. The cast remained full of energy and ended the night with a high-spirited performance that left audiences cheering and singing along.

• Hanna Resnick is a former intern at the SA Jewish Report now doing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of the Witwatersrand.