Ashley Day and Claire-Marie Hall star in High School Musical at Theatre, Hanley

Jun 3 2009 by Will Harris, Crewe Chronicle

They’re no Zac Efron or Vanessa Hudgens – but High School Musical stars Ashley Day and Claire-Marie Hall still find themselves in hot demand.

The duo, who take up the starring roles of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez in the touring stage production, have arrived in The Potteries for a week-long run at Hanley’s Regent Theatre.

Disney has created a monster out of the success of the worldwide teenybopper phenomenon, which the two say is something they have to take on the chin.

“Sometimes you just want your own time,” said Ashley. “Then all of a sudden 10 girls want your photo with them. You have to put up with it but you can’t complain. It’s what every actor wants I guess.

“I have two months left and I think I am ready to graduate from East High. I still love doing the show. It’s a great show to perform and we have a great time together.”

Claire-Marie said: “I think the kids know what to expect. It’s the same characters and we stay true enough to them.

“We get lots of people at the stage door so we must be doing something right.”

With a plot described as a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by the author, High School Musical is about two high school juniors from rival cliques.

Basketball captain Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, a beautiful and shy transfer student who excels in maths and science, try out for the lead parts in their high school musical and, as a result, divide the school.

Despite other students’ attempts to thwart their dreams, Troy and Gabriella resist peer pressure and rivalry, inspiring others along the way not to Stick To The Status Quo.

Much of High School Musical’s success can be attributed to the almost irritatingly catchy tracks littered throughout, and Ashley and Claire-Marie admit it can be tricky to leave it behind when they get home. She said: “The songs are really catchy so they are going to stick in your head.

“But at the end of the day I go home and put on pop music, nothing to do with musical theatre, and that helps.”

Ashley added: “It’s always with you wherever you go. I just try to look at it as another show I am working on and the songs are just something to perform every night.”

But they say that, despite not being the same people fans have watched hundreds of times over, audiences are loving it all the same.

“You can tell from the audience reaction that it takes five minutes or so for them to make the adjustment,” said Ashley. “The young kids have watched the films so many times so all of a sudden to see someone else doing it must be a bit strange.

“But it’s introducing kids to the theatre and I think that’s the best thing about the show.”

Claire added: “Obviously you get the friends and the families coming, but we do get quite a few older people who love High School Musical.

“We did a radio interview recently and one of the other cast members said she spotted a fully grown woman in a cheerleader outfit. I will have to look out for them in Stoke!”

For Claire-Marie, who joined the cast fresh from Les Miserables in November last year, it is a chance to fulfil a long-time ambition.

“I wanted this part from the beginning,” she said. “Gabriella’s very similar to me growing up. I was a brainy kid at school and got something like 13 A-stars at GCSE, so I really sympathised with the problems she faces.

“But, career-wise, it wasn’t some- thing I wanted to do. I wanted to be a lawyer since I was about seven, but I had a last-minute career change.”

High School Musical runs until Saturday. Shows start at 7pm, with 5pm and 8.30pm performances on Friday and another at 2.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are priced from £14.50-£29.50 – phone the box office on 0870 787 5780 or visit www. ambassadortickets.com/ Regent-Theatre.