Pool Academy has secured the licence to stage the hit musical the School of Rock which will is due be the biggest and best production staged by the school.

Jamie Best, head of drama, said he is excited about being able to help produce the Broadway and West End hit show and is pulling out all the stops ready for performances in December.

He, and head of music Emily Cromey, have already held auditions to find budding performance artists who attend Pool Academy.

Mr Best said: “We are really excited to be doing this musical. We are hoping it will be the biggest and best production yet. We are very lucky to have secured the licence to perform the musical. It will be a lot of work as it is a big project.

“We are in the process of selecting actors, musicians, dancers and anybody who is interested in helping out. We need youngsters to fill about 20 character roles and some smaller roles too.”

BTEC students will be creating dazzling costumes and backdrops, props and scenery for the show and this

will also go towards their course work.

Mr Best said in preparation of the production he plans to screen the original film after school to help raise

funds. He will also be planning a number of other fundraiser events.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who brought the story to the stage, has allowed schools to perform the musical free of charge for one year only to help promote the arts. Mr Best applied to the Really Useful Group Ltd for the script which he received last term.