FROM the very first note it was clear this was no ordinary school production.

Over the Rainbow’s not the easiest song to sing but when Dorothy kicked off The Wizard of Oz at The Regent Centre it set the tone for the rest of this highly professional production.

The show is the seventh time Twynham School has put on a production in this professional theatre and it was no surprise to see there were few spare seats in the house.

The lead roles were taken by a talented bunch with the main characters – Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West – putting on displays worthy of a professional show.

Around 50 students from the nearby school oozed confidence throughout and it was clear they were having a ball.

It was obvious they’d gone to a lot of trouble studying the traits of their characters and it really paid off.

It was a feast for the eyes with vibrant and colourful costumes, wonderful scenery and lively choreography.

Well-rehearsed dances were scattered through the performance, giving members of the chorus their chance to shine.

And clever use of lighting and a live band combined to create atmospheric scenes as the characters were whisked from Kansas to Oz and back again.

The show was a triumph for Twynham and I’m looking forward to their next production