THREEPENNY Opera, like Beggar's Opera upon which it is based, brings classic Italian opera of the elite to the masses in thought-provoking tales of the society around us.

Bertolt Brecht's "epic" approach to theatre was not to get the audience to connect with the characters or situations on stage emotionally, but to provoke thought, self-reflection and a critical view of the action before them. So with this approach, you know that watching Threepenny Opera is a theatre experience like no other.

These incredibly talented students from the Arts University Bournemouth gave a polished, professional performance that could easily run successfully in the West-End; it has to be one of the best musical performances I have ever seen.

Joshua Barton, who played lead Macheath (Mac the Knife), was so powerful to watch – his passionate speech prior to Macheath's hanging was breath-taking. And there were so many great musical performances – Dominique Planter portrayed an impressive vocal range, Jesamine Oldman's voice was polished and beautiful, but the highlight of the night for myself and many others has to have been the perfectly choreographed dance to The Useless Song – a tribute to Michael Jackson's thriller, which had everyone roaring with laughter. I was a little apprehensive about the futuristic look and although it was something you could definitely see, it did not detract, but proved that Brecht is sure to remain a relevant voice on our society for many years to come.