How Would the Characters of High School Musical Vote in the EU Referendum?

Very excited to bring back the wonderful Joey for another Guest Blog!

You can (and quite frankly you should!) follow Joey on Twitter (@JoeyKnock) and check out his blogs here and here.

Whenever I’m at the crossroads of my life and got a big decision to make, I always turn to the same friends for advice. Graduation. Moving house. Changing jobs. And so, with the biggest political decision to vote on in a generation, I’m again asking Troy, Gabriella and the whole East High Wildcats to help me Work It Out.

Whether you’ve decided yet or not how you’ll vote on the 23rd June (and do go out and vote), join me now for a question you won’t hear David Dimbleby asking: how would the High School Musical cast vote in the EU Referendum?

Troy’s a floating voter

Poor Troy. Everyone wants to tell him what to do. Don’t audition for the school musical. Don’t worry about ditching your friends during your Summer job. Don’t even think you’ll go to any university but Albuquerque. But he can never leave Gabriella and the Wildcats out of the picture. Before you vote, have a Troy Bolton style dance break to Get’cha Head in the Game

I don’t know where to go, what’s the right team

I want my own say, so bad I’m gonna scream

I can’t choose, so confused, what’s it all mean

I want my own dream, so bad I’m gonna scream

Scream, High School Musical 3

 

Gabriella will Walk Away and then come back

And Gabriella too gets caught between her relationship with Troy and their potential separate futures. It’s driven her to sing heartfelt ballads of varying quality about leaving and moving on, as they both have different dreams. But every time she comes back to Troy and the Wildcats for an upbeat ensemble number about sticking together.

I got to move on and be who I am

I just don’t belong here, I hope you understand

We might find our place in this world some day

But at least for now, I gotta go my own way

Gotta Go My Own Way High School Musical 2

 

Sharpay is thinking about her European dreams, and probably voting remain

She wants Fabulous. She Wants It All. And you know she’ll Bop to the Top of the campaign team for whatever side she’s supporting. So if the EU makes it easier to import her lifeguards from Spain and headline her own European tour, she’s voting remain. But if leaving gives her more chance to dream big…

Ice tea imported from England

Life guards imported from Spain

Towels imported from Turkey

And turkey imported from Maine

Fabulous, High School Musical 2

 

Ryan is excited to vote and deciding what hat to wear on Polling Day

He lived a long time in Sharpay’s sparkly shadow, then he found his own voice as a choreographer to accompany Kelsey and her teen-pop musicals. And now he gets to use that voice and freedom in a historic referendum

Improvisation without a script

No one’s written it

And now we get a chance to

High School Musical, High School Musical 3

 

Taylor is watching every debate and out on the campaign trail

It’s eight years since Taylor started Political Science at the prestigious Yale University. She’ll have done the equations, read the analysis and be out on the streets telling everyone why it’s important to vote.

 

Chad is sleeping in and forgot it’s polling day

DON’T BE LIKE CHAD. Go and vote. And make sure your friends go to.

And the rest of the Wildcats? We’re All in This Together

East High students used to be unanimous. If you tried to do anything different, they’d sing and dance you into submission over your lunch:

No no no, stick to the stuff you know

It is better by far to leave things as they are

Don’t mess with flow, no no

Stick to the status quo

Stick to the Status Quo, High School Musical

And then Gabriella and Troy proved things can change, and should change when it allows everyone to grow in themselves and grow together in friendship:

We’re all in this together

And it shows when we stand

Hand in hand

Make our dreams come true

We’re All In This Together, High School Musical

I won’t tell you how to vote. Neither will Troy, Gabriella or the contradictory song titles of three High School Musical soundtracks. This could be the Start of Something New, when we’re Breaking free. Or it could the day UK voters Just Wanna be with EU.

If you can vote, go to the polling station and take the Wildcat spirit with you. We Are truly all in this country and this world together. So please use your vote and ask: will the world, everyone’s world, be better if the UK remain or leave the European Union?