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WEST END KIDS
Carry On Productions
Regent Centre
Christchurch
September 2003

IT never ceases to amaze me what enthusiasm and commitment can achieve, given the right circumstances. Wanting something positive for their own children to do in the holidays, Helen Barrington and her team decided a year or two ago to hold a week-long summer school in New Milton. It was a tremendous success so this year they thought the youngsters, aged between 7 and 16 and whose numbers had now swelled to almost 50, should have the opportunity of appearing in a professional theatre.
Several experienced adults were recruited to perform alongside the children, and the resulting show, which featured numbers from The Rocky Horror Show, Annie, Oliver, Grease, Copacabana, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was a thoroughly enjoyable entertainment.
The youngsters had clearly worked hard during summer school, and their vitality, talent and enthusiasm were a joy to watch. One particularly touching aspect was how well a wheelchair-bound lad was incorporated into the action, with his chair at one point cleverly disguised as a car. Oh, and the children had also been involved in the design of sets, costumes and publicity material, with most impressive results.
Carry on, Carry On – you’re doing a great job.

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo


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