Theatre school opens its Magical Storybook

IT only comes around once every 18 months, but audiences will attest, that the spectacular show staged by the talented performers from The Leanne Hughes Theatre School is well worth the wait.

This year the school, which is based in Enterprise Way, Grovebury Road, will be putting on The Magical Storybook at the Raven Theatre, in the grounds of Cedars Upper School, Linslade.

The story of the show, written by Jayne Gildersleve and produced by Janice Hughes, is an enchanted tale of a young boy whose mother reads him a storybook each night. A lightening bolt strikes the storybook, bringing the characters and tableaux of the storybook, alive in a magical, dramatic and enthralling spectacle. The stories include skeletons, puppets, spacemen, knights of old, wizards and witches and far away exotic lands. The show will be a hugely entertaining piece, suitable for young and old alike.

Spokeswoman Fiona Harris, said: “Some of the school’s graduating pupils this year have been with us since the school’s inception 10 years ago and are now looking forward to full time professional training at the top dance colleges. This will be the last LHTS show for them before they embark on their professional career training.

“Alex Hart, Chloe Phillips, Sam Harris and Tilden Shipway-Porter have all been offered places at top establishments and awaiting the outcome of funding applications. Other graduates from LHTS, who dance purely for pleasure, will also be performing in their last show as they will be embarking on university degree courses in the autumn.

“For our three-year-olds this will be the first time performing in full costume in front of a paying audience-a very exciting time for them!”

The town’s mayor, Councillor Gordon Perham, who enjoyed the last show in 2010, is planning to attend this year’s Sunday performance.

Everybody at the school is learning all the new routines that will make this a fabulous and thoroughly entertaining show. The wardrobe department, headed by two dedicated mums, are working flat out to design and create the 300-plus costumes that will be needed to make the show just as dazzling as the last.

The teachers, headed by principal Miss Leanne, are busy choreographing the dances which will include jazz, street dance, contemporary, musical theatre, modern, tap and ballet numbers.

All the pupils at the school will be performing in the show - from the very youngest three-year-olds to the oldest children of sixth form age, and there will even be numbers from the adult dance classes.

The Magical Storybook runs from March 30 to April 1 and includes a Saturday matinee.

For tickets or more information about the show or the school please see the LHTS website at www.lhtheatreschool.co.uk call Jan on 01908 676987 or Fiona on 01525 210695.