PHOENIX Productions’ musical Summer Holiday at the Dolman Theatre  tells the tale of four boys’ quest for a European adventure on a double-decker bus.

Along the way they offer a lift to three girls, dazzling performers known as Do-Re-Mi, as well as accepting a stowaway ‘boy’ - really an American girl, Barbara, in disguise. The play centres around Don and American starlet Barbara’s friendship developing into love, once her identity is revealed. 

Initially there were a few sound issues early on however the talent of the 10-strong cast soon shone through. Driven by a fantastic band, the cast each took centre stage and displayed their impressive vocals. 

Barbara’s scheming mother Stella – a candidate for performance of the night by the fabulous Phoebe Jones – is fame-hungry and desperate to mastermind her daughter’s stardom. Along with the classic Shakespearean gender confusion, Stella threatens to derail her daughter’s blossoming love for Don - unless it can be used to make her daughter famous, that is. 

Owen Lloyd Hughes as the love-stricken Don was a standout performer, delivering strong solo vocals with a natural ease. Robbie Burns as Stella’s hapless assistant was also fantastic and provided some hilarious comic relief. 

It was a pleasure watching such talented youngsters performing in an excellent production which had the audience laughing, clapping and singing along – credit to everyone involved.

Joshua Nicholas