I was amazed last year that the Gang Show format still survived but on seeing this year's production I can understand why. 'Visually vibrant' seemed to be a good description for this fast paced show with its cheerful cast of nearly 100.

What a splendid advertisement for the Scout and Guide movements this was and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Great credit must go to director Jo Davey who well deserved her bouquet of flowers on the closing night and also merited the wild whooping of her happy audience, even if they were possibly related to the performers.

We started with two old favourites from the Irving Berlin repertoire 'Top Hat, White Tie and Tails' and 'Putting on the Ritz'. The costumes for these numbers and indeed for the whole of the show were superb. The silvery top hats, white ties and waistcoats suited the action perfectly.

The following number 'Fancy a Cuppa' made me realise why I was British for it is definitely the cure for all ills. I was also delighted to note the attention paid to the diction and projection of the performers for there was no difficulty in understanding what was going on.

Critics are supposed to criticise and 'Doctor, Doctor' contained some great singing but the sketch on the shadow play operation must be a hundred years old; I felt guilty at still laughing at it.

'Turning Japanese' might have been a tad too long but I loved the imitation of the Snow Leopard and the first half finished with great chorus work under the heading 'Aviation'.

After the interval we began with 'Wonderland', which was extremely artistic and the ballet delightful but perhaps 'Give Us a Clue' and the Red Queen's tantrums of 'Off with his Head' didn't quite gel; but I still laughed and felt sorry for the Red King.

Gals and Gangsters was costumed in the American style and 'Give it Some Welly' was rhythmically original in a gumboot sort of way.

The finale was called 'And Finally' where we had all the old numbers including of course 'We're Riding Along on the Crest of a Wave', and so we were.

I look forward with pleasure to next year's show.

Peter Steptoe

4 stars