Shanklin Theatre was alive with the sound of the Savoyards last weekend, with their sell-out production of ‘The Sound of Music’ earning them, rightly so, standing ovations across the show.

Flawless is not a word to be used lightly in a review.

The tale of the Von Trapp family is one of the most beloved in musical theatre, a classic packed with iconic tunes, and each was delivered with energy and passion by the cast, led from the pit by Musical Director Steve Burton and his fantastic orchestra.

Rosie Sales was flawless.

Her portrayal of Maria Rainer was sweet, sensitive and effortlessly charming, filled with warmth and humour. From her first note to her last, Rosie was exceptional – vocally and visually – and, from her first note to her last, the audienceswere with her, willing her Maria to go out and ‘look for her life’.

The Mother Abbess can sometimes come across as aloof, but that was not the case here: Libby Pike was warm and welcoming, giving a wonderful performance. A mention, too, must go to Ruth Anderson, Bobby Oddy and Pat Ayles, who alongside Libby gave a great rendition of ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’

Stuart Adams as Captain Von Trapp was a worthy head of household, suitably stern and complete with whistle to summon a delightfully exasperated Maureen Sullivan and John Abraham as Frau Schmidt and Franz.

Maurice Kachuk was the perfect choice for Max Detweiler, equal parts comical and lovable with ‘Lonely Goatherd’ one of many highlights in the show, and he had a great foil in Natasha Edwards, whose Elsa Schrader oozed glamour.

The moral conflict of Rolf Gruber was played with great authenticity by Daniel Farmer, and it was a memorable moment between him, Liesel and the Captain when he chose not to reveal the Von Trapp family’s hiding place to the Nazi stormtroopers. The political backdrop was used to chilling effect, particularly in Act 2, and it was a sombre reminder thatfor all its cheery tunes this show is based on real people, and real events.

The children were played by two teams – The Rose Team and The Edelweiss Team – and it was this reviewer’s privilege to see both in action. For that reason, this review will be a little longer than usual, because each and every one deserves a mention.

Consistent across all performances were Kieran Adams as Friedrich, whose voice added depth to the vocals of the youngsters, and Alice Burton-Jones as an extremely likeable and sympathetic Liesel. What was abundantly clear, too, was the care Alice had for the younger Von Trapps, and they for her, in her role as ‘leader’ of the Von Trapp children.

The Rose Team featured: India Sulley as Louisa, whose strong singing voice was apparent from the outset; Jake Eastman as a wonderfully cheeky Kurt, bouncing brilliantly off older stage-brother Kieran; Zoe Weal as Brigitta, with a smile and confidence that lit the stage; and Elkie MacGregor as a lovely Marta, whose interactions with Gretl were especially sweet to watch.

The Edelweiss Team featured: Ellen Careless as Louisa, who even in a short burst of ballet made it clear she is as beautiful a dancer as she is a singer; George Sales as Kurt, whose voice seems to be going from strength to strength, and special mention must be made of his solo during the ‘Sound of Music – Reprise’; the fabulous Freya Edwards as Brigitta, with a voice clear as a bell; and Jessie Hookey as an assured and bubbly Marta, again with good interactions with Gretl.

These teams were completed by the two youngest cast members: Dakota Burton-Jones and Polly Careless, as the respective Gretls, were simply wonderful, with oodles of stage presence…and excellent yodelling skills!

There was some extra magic to be had, too, watching the real-life family members within the on-stage Von Trapp family as they performed together and clearly loved every minute of it.

From slick scene changes to a confident cast, this was a production that Director Andrew Wilson-Jenner, the production team and the cast can be proud of, and the sell-out audiences clearly agreed, given the nightly standing ovations.