The show programme describes musical mayhem as ‘not chaos, but rather orchestrated magic that captivates young minds’, and that is a very good description of this show, staged at East Cowes Town Hall on a sunny Sunday afternoon – and it captivated the audience too.

The production featured a variety of singing, dancing and acting pieces performed in the main by the youngest TheatreTrain students, aged from 4 to 9 years, and the sheer joy of performing shone out from the stage, testament not only to the hard work that has clearly gone into rehearsals but the enthusiasm their teachers and the creative team have fostered in the youngsters.

By and large, as befits their age, the pieces were group work, at times featuring some short solos, so it would be unfair to single out any one performer – they were all terrific! For me, some of the highlights of the show were the ‘AM’ group singing ‘Do-Re-Me’ from ‘The Sound of Music’ and their joke-telling ‘I say, I say, I say’; the ‘PM’ group’s mime-based ‘Picture This’ and their dance to ‘I’m a Believer’ and the Minis – the youngest students – who threatened to steal the show with their rendition of ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’, ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ and ‘Bare Necessities’.

Also worthy of note were the older group of students whose three songs – my favourite was a brilliant song and dance routine of Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ – showed both us and the smaller performers what they can aspire to in a few years’ time.

It should be remembered that credit must also be given to the dedication and hard work of the tutors and creative team who work with their students over weeks and months to develop their skills and give them the confidence to perform.

With young actors, singers and dancers like this, the future of Island theatre looks dazzlingly bright. There were lots of very proud parents and grandparents in the audience, and their pride was entirely justified – the young students of TheatreTrain can also be very proud of themselves. I look forward to seeing them develop their skills and gracing the stage again in the future.