A couple of real stars

I have literally just got back from seeing my niece and nephew perform in a review with their youth drama group (Baylees Theatre School) at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon, Essex. The review was called Kaleidoscope and was actually quite good. The group is based at Grays School (spit spit, old enemies from when I was a kid, as I went to Torells!), and aged from about 4 to 16, and there were some real talents there.
My niece, Molly, didn't really have much to do, singing in the chorus and bringing on some props. But when she was on stage she always had a great big smile on her face.
My nephew, Joe, on the other hand, was on stage quite a lot. There seemed to be 4 principle boys in the group and he was one of them, although all the others got to sing solo and he didn't.
He did play a policeman in one section, which even included some talking. And was in the background in another section where he was walking a dog: the dog was a stuffed one, so he was basically pulling it along the floor, quite comical especially when he pulled the lead sharply and got the dog to "jump" into his arms!! The whole audience loved that bit.
The only downside, really, was that they had problems with the microphones. Not everyone had head mikes, and those who did didn't always have them switched on! So it was difficult to hear some of the singing, especially as the "backing" music was so loud. That and the fact that the theatre was way too warm, every one was fanning themselves with whatever was available. But, it was highly enjoyable, nevertheless.
Other than relatives, obviously, there were five kids whose performances stood out for me:
A young guy who played Aladdin, who was great (although not a singer).
A young girl who played Annie. She was a good singer and very confident.
2 of the principle boys stood out to me, the other I dont know. I guess they stood out because they had the majority of the roles, but they were good singers. And one of them, called Chay, was even quite attractive (despite being FAR too young!!).
And one of the eldest girls, whose name I was told but have forgotten, was a beautiful singer and not a bad actress either. I have a feeling that she will go far.
They are performing again tomorrow, so go and see it if you have a spare evening.