大象传媒

Now don't get me wrong I love theatre, and in particular the Juniors, but I wasn't really up for it.

But I'm glad I made the effort, and I challenge anyone to catch one of the remaining shows and not feel a lot more Christmassy as a result.

The technical team had turned the huge Snape Maltings Concert Hall stage into a really seasonal spectacle, which is no mean feat, given the scale of the set.

One has come to expect much of the Co-op Juniors over the years, but the sheer intensity of this show was mind-boggling in the extreme.

A wide-range of songs were covered during the performance. Being a festive show, the obligatory Christmas carols were sang with gusto - with the audience being invited to sing along with the on-screen words at one point.

Alongside these were a number of modern tracks from the charts and recent West End shows.

A highlight for me was when the young lads performed a wonderful medley featuring The Boys Are Back In Town and Born To Be Wild. The leather jackets made them look a force to be reckoned with!

Overall I was aware of most of the songs performed, but even those that were new to my ears were instantly accessible and praise must go to whoever chose the numbers.

As for the costumes, they were truly fantastic. Likewise the high standard of singing, dancing and co-ordination of so many people (some very young to be doing quite complex routines) was a joy to behold.

There were several exceptional individual performances, notably Julie Locke and Tim Holder once again delivering seemingly effortless duets with great style.

I believe the children are our future

The children drew the most spontaneous applause though, with their unbelievably cute delivery of the song and dance numbers in which they participated, sometimes alongside the older members of the cast, sometimes on their own.

They all showed confidence and enthusiasm, obviously enjoying the experience immensely.

Christmas Spectacular is a perfect name for the show, as it was truly amazing in all respects!
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Co-op Juniors' Christmas Spectacular is at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall until 21 December. Telephone: 01728 687 110 for ticket details.