FOR the first time since the Covid pandemic and subsequent temporary closure of the Borough Theatre forced them to seek an alternative venue at the Clarence Hall in Crickhowell, the talented young performers of AAODS Juniors landed back on stage at the Borough Theatre in Abergavenny for their latest production of The Wizard of Oz, proving once and for all that there really is no place like home.

This production may not be the first time AAODS Juniors have paid a visit to Oz, but it is by far the smallest and youngest cast to have graced the theatre stage with an ensemble of just around 20 in addition to the core principals.

With this in mind, it a delight to hear the quality of the sound they managed to produce with lively chorus numbers bringing a taste of Munchkinland to Abergavenny.

The cast of young principals led by Delilah Iris Jones as Dorothy obviously thoroughly enjoyed the AAODS experience and delighted the last night audience which whooped and hollered their every move.

Delilah was confident and self possessed in the central role, singing with ease and coping well with the demands of a part which rarely sees her leave the stage.

No matter how good Dorothy may be every production of The Wizard of Oz rides or falls on the central trio of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion and this production was blessed with a strong showing in the form of Tansy Newsam, Oliver Powell and Robert Lewis with all three singing well and pulling every shred of comedy from the script

In something of a first for an AAODS Wizard Toto was a constant on-stage presence thank to some clever puppet work from Lily Webb, who brought life and personality to an often unseen character.

As Glinda and Aunt Em Olivia O’Gorman was elegant and charming while Rosie Spencer as Uncle Henry and the Emerald City guard made the comedic most of both characters.

Callie Trumper Davies also worked well as the Wicked Witch and Miss Gulch drawing a well deserved chorus of boos as she took her curtain call.

Completing the central cast was Campbell Mathias as the Professor and the Wizard, who like the rest of the cast performed with confidence and swagger.

Credit must go to the production team of Alys Le Moignan Williams and Meg Trinder for drawing such confident performances from such a young cast.

Perhaps for me, the downside of this production was the - sadly necessary - reliance on technology which meant that at times the action was a little flat and lacking in the life which a live orchestra can bring.

One of the many consequences of the ill-thought out refurbishment of the Borough Theatre is that there is little space for an orchestra pit meaning that many companies are now forced to rely on backing tracks and the varying quality of those available.

For Wizard this quality was far from perfect and did little to support the hard work of those on stage.

Call me old fashioned but I’m also not a fan of swapping set for projections which again do little to bolster the on stage action and contributed to the lack of oomph which sometimes sneaked in.

There’s nothing like the thrill of navigating your way around a set and singing with an orchestra and sadly this cast experienced neither.

That said it was a joy to see AAODS Juniors back on stage at the Borough where they belong and it’s a sure bet this young cast will go from strength to strength.

It’s also a sure bet that this production will be remembered by many for the first appearance of an undoubted AAODS star of the future Bradley Whyatt. From his place in the chorus he stole every scene with his acting and comic timing and is most definitely one to look out for in future casts…don’t forget his name!