Main character analysis• Troy Bolton, son of the basketball coach at the school and captain of the team.

Ends up torn between basketball and performing. Heart throb at the school, falls in love with Gabriella Montez. Main character.

• Gabriella Montez, the new girl at East High school who excels in maths and science. Met Troy over winter break and can’t believe her luck when she sees him at her new school and falls in love with him. Member of the science club. Sharpay is envious of her because she knows Troy likes her. Main character.

• Sharpay Evans, the show-off of the school who has been the lead in performances since pre-school. President of the drama club and most popular student in the school. Extremely spoiled, bosses her brother around as if he is her property. Very vain and concerned with her reputation and how she looks. Puts herself first.

• Ryan Evans, Sharpay’s brother. Vice president of the drama club. Obeys Sharpay’s demands but wants to be nice to everyone unlike her.

• Kelsi Neilsen, pianist in the drama club. Shy, but stands up for herself in the end. Makes Troy and Gabriella sing the song which brings them together.

• Coach Bolton, Troy’s father. Tries to persuade Troy that he is a “player, not a singer”. Isn’t supportive of his son’s wishes and aspirations and pushes him to the limit.

• Chad Danforth, best friend of Troy and basketball team member. Relationship between himself and Taylor begins to blossom towards the end. Isn’t supportive of Troy’s wishes at first.

• Zeke Baylor, basketball team player who is quite shy. His passion for baking is jokingly revealed near the end of the show. Has a crush of Sharpay.

• Taylor McKessie, head of the Brainiacs as she is very intelligent. Becomes Gabriella’s best friend. Relationship between herself and Chad blossoms towards the end.

• Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher. Very much in favour of Sharpay and Ryan at first, until Gabriella and Troy unexpectedly and involuntarily audition for the winter show. In around her mid-50s and quite stylish, as you would typically expect a drama teacher to look.