DISNEY'S High School Musical seems to have developed a bit of a cult following among the young - and in consequence it seems to be the production for any self respecting youth theatre to take on.

DISNEY'S High School Musical seems to have developed a bit of a cult following among the young - and in consequence it seems to be the production for any self respecting youth theatre to take on.

Having long passed my claim to teenage status I thought it best to take along my niece in order to get a better perspective on this particular production.

The Co-op Juniors have a well deserved reputation to maintain and they certainly haven't let themselves down with this performance.

There are over 50 in this cast and yet there was not one weak link. From the principles to the chorus they all worked together to create a very well disciplined and enjoyable piece of theatre.

The story line is a fairly simple boy meets girl, looses girl, wins girl again scenario - and reminded very much of a sanitised version of 'Grease'.

The songs while not quite measuring up to the John Travolta musical are catchy and were delivered well. Oliver Brett as Troy, Gabrielle Pemberton as Gabriella, Melissa Cook as Sharpay and Jonathon Bingham as Ryan really shone in their roles, ably supported by the other leads. Especially impressive were Rachel Lucock as Ms Darbus, Ashley Betts as Coach Bolton and Lauren Cross as Kelsi.

The Guest Director Lindsey Ward and choreographer Kerry Sayer used the large cast to good effect and there was an abundance of pace and energy throughout the show. There was also a believable rapport between the couples - something adult amateur shows sometimes lack.

Overall very entertaining. Well done to all the performers and back stage team. Your obvious hard work paid off.

Susan Hawkes