Youth Music Theatre make a welcome return to George Square, where their last production was the brilliant Goblin Market in 2005. The large company really needs this big stage just to provide enough space for all the talented performers on view.
The musical takes place in a school on the first day of a new term. Everyone has arrived except for Mel and nobody knows whats happened to her. Is it something to do with Cat, who is believed to be Mels arch enemy and was suspected of spiking Mels drink at a party two days earlier? This simple question is used as the basis of a serious exploration of many of the issues of school life bullying, jealousy, fear of exams, relationships, gossip and backbiting.
The characters seem very real, and many of us will recognise similarities to those we knew at school. This is partly as a result of the excellent writing, but also because of the tremendous acting abilities of the performers. This is definitely a high-quality cast. The singing is also extremely good, with no obvious weaknesses, and the live musical accompaniment is excellent throughout. One thing that has to be particularly praised is the choreography. At any time there may be between thirty and forty performers on stage, often moving around in groups and singing at the same time, but clearly everyone knows exactly where they have to be at every moment and nobody looks out of place for a moment.
The performance ends with a song, The Best Years Of Our Lives Start Now. This is not only true for the characters in this production but also for the performers themselves, who definitely have a great deal to look forward to.
