You always expect a high quality show from Curtain Call Creative, but with performers as young as these, you could forgive a few onstage nerves or faltering voices – Hah!! No chance of any of that with this amazingly professional young group! From the very start, as The Cat in the Hat – made famous in the Dr Seuss books – took the stage along with a young tomboy (who later morphed into the young Who, Jojo), this fast-paced story was presented confidently and captured the audience’s imagination.

Noah Walker-Green as the The Cat and Polly Careless as Jojo were onstage for the vast majority of the show, and carried the narrative thread, so a great deal was on their young shoulders – and they were both a triumph, with clear diction, strong singing and speaking voices, and fabulous characterisation throughout.

We then met Horton the Elephant, played by Stanley Griffiths-Nash, whose beautiful singing voice was used to great effect. He is another actor who engaged the audience as he introduced us to the world of the Whos, including the Mayor and his wife (Charlie Dickson and Matilda Squibb), Jojo’s parents, and of course The Grinch – a lovely cameo from Edie Mangnall.

Along the way we meet Gertrude McFuzz – Dulci Walker’s delightful vocals shone in her role as the shy bird who loves Horton – and in contrast, the flamboyantly feathered Mayzie la Bird, played with panache and brilliant singing and dancing by Maisie Walker-Green. Frankie Mackness-Foster did a wonderful job as the Sour Kangaroo, with her little joey perched on her hand, and along with the Bird Girls and the whole cast, met the challenge of the great choreography of the show. A special mention must be made too of the ballet sequences danced by Erin O’Donnell.

There were some fantastic minor roles too, ranging from the three rocking Wikersham Brothers (Freddie Nixon, Rex Jones and Charlie Dickson) through Tommy Morgan as Vlad Vladikoff to Harvey Webb’s Yertle the Turtle – all contributed to what was essentially an ensemble show based on the Dr Seuss stories, featuring a wide range of songs: some ballads, some rocking and all delivered with flair and confidence born of talent and a lot of hard work in rehearsals.

The underlying storyline of Horton finding Whoville; being mocked and even taken to court by the other jungle animals, and the final idea that it’s a great thing to think different thinks, is a great message for young people – well, people of all ages really – to imbibe. Be an individual, be creative and be yourself – and I hope these talented young performers have taken that thought to heart – be confident with who you are and use your talents – and they have so, so much talent evident on that stage.

The adults supporting them are to be very much commended too: Katie Walker-Green’s direction was spot-on, and Becci Maher’s choreography stretched the performers and resulted in some perfectly synchronised movement making use of every inch of the stage. The set was simple, colourful and well suited to the show, and the orchestra showcased the vocals wonderfully – shout out to Musical Director Indra Riches for the work that has clearly gone into the singing, particularly the ensemble pieces, where there were some lovely harmonies.

All in all, a fabulously entertaining show: I left the theatre humming showtunes, feeling very positive about the future of Island theatre in the hands of these young performers – and looking forward to seeing the older Curtain Call students later in the month as they present ‘Grease’ at Shanklin Theatre. If you missed ‘Seussical’, get your tickets for ‘Grease’ now – it’s sure to be just as amazing!

Book for ‘Grease’ at What’s On – Shanklin Theatre