For the second year in succession, Junior LADS members staged an adaptation of a well-known dramatic work.

This time it was Liza, based on Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, adapted and produced once again, by LADS member, Sandra Handscomb.

All the best elements of My Fair Lady were present in this mini-version: the cockney and upper class characters, witty dialogue, songs, dance and set pieces. The young actors were well cast, some undertaking more than one role with working class and "posh" accents defining their differences. The individual performances and group set pieces were equally strong and the youngsters clearly enjoyed working together.

Alice Underhill was an engaging yet strong Liza, showing humour and stage presence, with Craig Gardner and Ben Williams as Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering providing a suitable foil to her role, as arrogant tutor and accomplice respectively. Among other portrayals out of a well-balanced cast, Heather Cooper as the housekeeper Mrs Pearce and Adrian Reader as Alf Doolittle and James the butler (also the ambassador), revealed a talent for characterisation and stage delivery. All junior members deserve our congratulations for a most enjoyable evening's entertainment.

This could not have been achieved without many hours of hard work by the producer and her band of committed co-workers in bringing the set, costumes, choreography, special effects and other contributions to the production.

Anne Lucas