TALENTED young performers treated their audience to a musical extravaganza in Peebles on Saturday night.

The Stardust Musical Theatre Company held its annual showcase to a sold out crowd in the Eastgate Theatre.

‘A Night at the Musicals’ was a greatest-hits compilation of some of the best-known songs from the world of musical theatre.

The Stardust cast sang, acted and danced their way through nearly 20 great musical numbers.

Now in its third year the Peebles cast, aged between five and 18 years old, moved its showcase up a gear with the most ambitious production to-date.

Before the show began the packed audience was treated to a fun creative number replacing the standard audience announcement about safety and concert protocol.

Musical number one was the ever popular, Wind in the Willows, where the performers donned animal attire to sing and dance their way over to Toad Hall.

The junior and intermediate groups combined to bring this musical number to life. Lilly Jackson played the flamboyant Toad accompanied by Hannah Thurston, Mila Vardanian, and Milena Osinka as Mole, Ratty and Badger.

The three pesky stoats played by Kathryn Henderson, Caitlin Thurston and Ava Lukehurst encouraged laughs for their bad behaviour and one liners. What do you get when you cross three stoats and a picnic? A pic nicked.

The second act of the night took us to 1950s London for the classic My Fair Lady. A young cockney flower-seller well played by Ruby Thornley swaps street corners for elocution lessons and a ladies day at the races.

She is taken under the wing of Professor Higgins, performed by Lila Kitching who had suffered an injury only a week before opening night. Needing to use crutches did not stop her from taking part and impressing the crowd.

After a quick interval, we swapped the 50s for the 21st century with the seniors channelling the wildcat spirit of High School Musical. Upbeat numbers included Stick to the Status Quo, Breaking Free, and an ambitious, very well performed, basketball number Get’cha Head in the Game.

Everyone was in the high school spirit thanks to the catchy numbers and teen drama narrated by Niamh Smith.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was up next as the junior group had every sweet tooth in the house tingling. Rosie Noble charmed the audience as Charlie, the lucky winner of a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory.

Wonka was performed by Toby Haslam and the narrators were Aimee Morton and Elena Chrystie.

Everyone’s inner rebel cheered along to a stirring performance of School of Rock.

The intermediate group took on the role of school children who swap studies for band practice, performing hits such as Stick it to the Man and You’re in the Band.

After a spectacular musical experience all the performers took to the stage for the finale. The Stardust students sang The Greatest Showman’s hit This is Me to a roaring applause.

Show producer, Fiona Henderson told us: “All of our Stardust pupils have put in so much work over the last few months as they learnt all their lines, songs and dance routines for their showcase.

“It really paid off in a great performance from everyone and the tutors and I are all very proud of them”. Next stop, Broadway.

Stardust Cast of 2019:

Abigail Harper, Ada Murphy, Aimee Morton, Anna Nethercot, Ava Lukehurst, Beth Johnson, Caitlin Thurston, Coco Turnbull, Eilidh Muir, Elena Chrystie, Emily Roberts, Eve Simpson, Gabriela Hamza, Gabrielle Sellar, Grace Clark, Hannah Paulin, Hannah Thurston, Imogen Smith, Kathryn Henderson, Lila Kitching, Lilly Jackson, Lily Ellis, Megan Cruickshanks, Melina Osinka, Mila Vardanian, Millie Jones, Oliver Johnson, Phoebe Byrne, Rosie Callaghan, Rosie Noble, Ruby Thornley, Sadie Ackerman, Scarlett MacNeil, Sophie Crittenden, Sophie Muir, Taylor Cunningham, Toby Haslam.