Congratulations are due to all the Removes and junior Lamda students for a spectacular Junior Show.

Opening with the brilliant seasonal spoof ‘Salty Towers’, Harry and Emma treated us to a taste of vintage British comedy with their impeccably performed ‘Mr and Mrs Salty’ (aka Basil and Sybil). With clipboard in hand Harry’s Mr Salty worked manically to keep the Roman census inspector (played by Edward) from discovering a stable full of sheperds and kings behind the hotel, only to be unwittingly and hispanically undone by the perfectly cast James as Carlos (aka Manuel): “Que??”. Backed up by well-timed sound effects (Mrs Portsmouth) and ably supported on stage by Kitty, Rory, Georgina, Christopher and Aidan, ‘Salty Towers’ was a triumph.

Next on the programme was a six-part adaptation of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. With some excellent costumes and atmospheric lighting, we shivered our way towards Christmas in the company of three increasingly grim-faced but troubled Scrooges (played alternately by George, Rupert and Nicholas). Was there anyone who did not sympathise with poor Bob Cratchit (James), docked a shilling by mean Mr Scrooge for wanting to spend Christmas Day with his family? We wanted to scare some sense into the man, and who better to help us than the ghost of Jacob Marley (played by Max) and the ghosts of Christmas Past (Ed), Present (Max again) and Future (Toby). Rattling wretched chains and looking darker than the deadliest Dementor, the ghosts at last brought some sense into Mr Scrooge and by the end we had all been blessed with Christmas cheer. With wonderful support from Robbie, Jamie, Connie, Holly, Elizabeth, Oliver, Lydia, Martha, Jack and Nicholas, this was a timely reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

The programme also included excellent vignettes from Teya and Tertia (poor Rosalind was ill), some very entertaining (and festive) Lamda in ‘Carrots with Garlic Dip’ (with a late but spectacular guest appearance by Kitty’s donkey ears), and some imaginative improvisation by Immy, Charlotte, Olivia and a convincingly petulant Holly. We also had more Lamda from Olivia, Melissa, Storm and Harriet (though poor Henrietta was stuck in traffic and arrived two minutes after the performance finished – thanks are due here to Teya for stepping in at short notice). Towards the end of the show we were treated to an excellent dialogue from Abberley’s answer to French & Saunders – Martha and Lydia in ‘Traveller’s Lodge’ – and then a lively monologue involving some well delivered local dialect from Joshvun in ‘A Wayne in a Manger’.

All the Removes and Form Ones then rounded off the show with a jolly carol sung in natural descant overlaid by an impressive two-part round – what a sound!

Congratulations to Clare Northwood for putting the whole show together, to Rebecca Fitzpatrick for her Lamda work, and to all the staff who quietly contributed a good deal of their precious time. Roll on ‘Guys and Dolls’.