Youngsters WOW their audience at the Pavilion

THEY might be only school kids but WOW members certainly know how to put on a grown-up show as this superb compilation production ably demonstrates.

With song and dance numbers ranging from jazz and swing to classics and handwringing pathos, this is a show for everyone to enjoy and the 40-odd young people on stage try their very best to see that you do.

Martine Burt’s direction and especially invigorating choreography makes the most of the varied programme as the cast change costumes and mood with awesome skill in a programme featuring extracts from Chicago, Matilda, Oklahoma, Sweet Charity and Cabaret to name just a few.

The WOW company are blessed with talents from girl vocalists like Reinebeau Anderson-Dudley, Ada Barume, Clare Phelan and Abigail Brewster while boys like Billy Matthews, Luke Muldoon and George Lyons are just some of the male performers that help bring a touch of magic to the stage. We will miss them all as many of them soon attain their majority of 18 years of age and have to leave the group.

Particularly enjoyable in this show is the opportunity for the younger members to shine in excerpts from Matilda, a real treat to see budding stars in the making.

Heather Reed’s skilful musical direction makes a five-piece group sound like a full orchestra, thanks to some judicious technology, and chorus master Janet Stockley has maintained the vocal standard which has become the hallmark of WOW productions over the years.

Elegant costumes, excellent tap dance routines and imaginative staging all contribute to creating a show not to be missed.

It is good to see the Pavilion pulsating with life once again and one can only hope that WOW have a safe haven in which to perform for many more years.

The production continues for the rest of the week and they are already preparing for Grease next April. I can hardly wait.

MARION COX