SOMETHING funky this way comes. Youngsters from WOW, Weymouth’s youth musical theatre, are tackling Gilbert and Sullivan with a difference.

Their autumn show, which is at the Pavilion Theatre in November is Hot Mikado, a jazzed-up version of the original and hugely popular Mikado.

Featuring an intoxicating mix of styles and influences, classics such as A Wand’ring Minstrel I and Three Little Maids are transmuted into show-stopping blues, swing, hot gospel and torch songs.

The show is also giving the youngsters the opportunity to improvise with some ‘scat’ jazz singing, which just adds to their talent.

This is not the first time WOW has tackled a G&S favourite. In 2008 they performed The Pirates of Penzance to great aclaim at Weymouth Pavilion.

WOW president Janet Stockley said: “The Hot Mikado came into being in 1934 when theatre producer Mike Todd realised his production of The Mikado was losing money, so he jazzed up and adapted the show.

“It is a really great show and one I’ve been thinking about for some time because our director Scott St Martyn has directed it 10 times and kept urging me to do it. But at first I thought there was too much Scat – improvised jazz singing – in the production and that the kids wouldn’t be able to cope with it.

“We went to see it in Taunton and completely fell in love with it. The kids have been marvellous and we have a couple of girls who can sing in a great jazz style, so I think it will be a stunning show. They have picked it up really quickly.”

However, it is Janet who is sometimes having problems remembering the script.

“I have done the Mikado so many times I know it back to front and I have to keep remembering that this is the Hot Mikado, not the original!” she laughed.

“This version is very much in the 1930s and 1940s style and the songs for the ‘three little girls’ could very well have been written for the Andrews Sisters.”

The set for the show, which runs from November 2 to 5, has been bought from the Taunton theatre where Janet saw a production of the show and will be sold on afterwards to help raise funds for WOW.

The Hot Mikado will also be the last show Scott St Martyn directs for WOW as he is moving to France.

Janet said: “We will be very sorry to see Scott go because he pulled us up when we were at a low patch and made our productions so much better.

“He is an absolute joy to work with because he gets the best out of the kids. He is so funny and entertaining and his knowledge of the theatre is a bonus. He explains things and gives the kids background details and they learn so much from him.”

Over the years, WOW has proved a springboard for many talented youngsters.

This year several former WOW performers have made the transition to drama school. Laura-Kat Thomas goes to Brian Rogers Performers College, Shakira Brading to KSA, Performing Arts, and Adam Nash is going to GSA, Guildford.

Several other WOW alumni are also creating a stir in London’s West End. Chloe Brooks went straight from college into Grease and then on to Les Miserables. She is now signed up to join the cast of the Laurence Olivier Award-winning Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, where she will be performing with Chris Ellis-Stanton, another ex-WOWer.

Hot Mikado is at Weymouth Pavilion from November 2 to 5 and tickets are available from the box office on 01305 783225.