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Gilbert and Sullivan have been played and splayed the world over but St Dunstan's Youth belong in the former, producing a healthy version that does the tradition proud. In fact, it's fair to say that you could never meet a rowdier rabble of thieves and scoundrels than those found in this production of The Pirates Of Penzance.

The cast find a confident and humorous approach under the watchful eye of producer Linda Ash. Every part is played to the full and even the smaller parts are seized upon with an eagerness that would shame many better funded productions.

The roles of Frederic, the Pirate King, Ruth and the Major General were filled by John Graham, Peter Ash, Becci Conlon and Michael Ingle who took the challenge and gave it their very best. Singing talent was of a quality that carried the story with tempo and verve. The humour of each piece was delivered exceptionally well, particularly by Peter Ash whilst the voice of Becci Conlon raised the standards one would normally expect from such a young company.

The highlight of the evening, though, had to be the rendition of "I am the very model of a modern Major-General". Being an undeniably difficult piece, it could well have fallen flat. Michael Ingle keeps up the pace with comparative ease and carried the audience

On the downside, it was sad to see such a poor turnout. The quality of the production made for an excellent night out and would be a real loss to the community if such events were to dry up.

By the time you will be reading this the good ship will have long sailed and you will have missed an excellent opportunity to escape to high seas for an evening.

This is, however, a cautionary tale. So, should the chance to catch this cast in action come up again, as it will very soon, then be sure to splash out on a ticket.

Future attractions:

Arsenic and Old Lace - October 2000
Annie - January 2001