Dewey Finn, played by Jake Sharp, is the main character in School of Rock, and warmed not only my heart but I believe that of the audience’s with his endearing yet witty character. The musical begins with Dewey Finn being kicked out of his band and threatened by his fellow flatmates to get kicked out for not paying rent. However, when a letter arrives in the post addressed to his friend and fellow flatmate Ned Schneebly (Matthew Rowland) with a job opportunity, Dewey Finn cannot resist; it seems like the only way out of his worsening situation. The job opportunity is at Horace Green, a fictionally elite school, with high academic standards, that Dewey Finn is set to disrupt, as he embarks on his new role as a substitute teacher. 

It is Dewey Finn’s role as a teacher that really enthralled me. Unfortunately, education and teaching in general has become somewhat top-heavy over recent decades, with constant assessments, Ofsted target setting and academic pressure on young children to achieve in ‘academic’ subjects, where talents that they may have in other areas have been forgotten. Horace Green was the perfect example of this, where the young children in the play were under a somewhat autocratic spell, measuring their success through ‘golden stars’ competing against one another, until Dewey Finn or rather Mr. Schneebly came in and showed them a new light to education. After recognising their musical talents, and establishing a band ‘School of Rock,’ Dewey shows what an inspirational teacher can be, reminding not only children but also adults of messages that they may have forgotten.

Firstly, Finn helps student to identify their individual talents and strengths, rather than putting them up against one another, reminding us that we are not all the same, and can react to education in the same way, and that we are all unique. Secondly, he shows the importance of not always following the rules, and how when there is more freedom within education, great things can come from it such as a development of confidence, which we see through many of the young children’s characters, especially that of Tameeka, who we see grow from shy girl who is not willing to speak, to a confident, bright young woman who is centre of stage. 

Lastly, when the ‘School of Rock’ do not win the Battle of the Bands competition, Dewey Finn shows the students that it is not about the winning, but taking part that counts, a message that has been engrained in all of us since a young age, but one that we might often forget. It reminds us to slow down, appreciate what we have, and not get caught up in the competitive nature of life, but rather recognise the beauty of the moments of that we are living in.

Whilst these may seem like deep messages, it shows that the musical is not just for one audience, but is for everyone, and can remind us of life lessons that we might have forgotten. Jake Sharp embodied the character of Dewey Finn very well, full of humour and energy, making him a very relatable character, who endeared the whole audience, and was rightly given a standing applause at the end of the musical.

Rating: 5/5

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