IF anyone was in any doubt as to the importance and value to the community of Abergavenny’s Borough Theatre, they needed only to have picked up a ticket to last week’s production of Made in Dagenham to be utterly convinced.

For the second year running, drama student Molly Brickley-Clark has recruited a cast of aptly named ‘all-star’ performers and in just ten weeks mounted a production of which many established companies would be proud.

That so many of the young cast have given up their summer vacation from drama schools and universities to spend long hours in a rehearsal room is tribute not only to them...but to the vital role the Borough Theatre has played in their lives, for so many of them have been treading its boards since they were knee high to the proverbial.

Add to their number a blend of performers from the Borough’s thriving amateur community and the odd ‘blow-in’ from neighbouring towns to demonstrate how the arts can make friends of strangers and at worst you have a show...at best you have an outstanding production which demonstrates all that is magnificent about the theatre and the people who love it.

Of course all this would be academic if the production didn’t live up to expectations...and my goodness how it did.

With a strong central cast led by Chelsea Viveash as Rita, Cecilia Bawler as Beryl, Alys Le Moignan as Sandra, Janine Davies as Connie, Natalie Marshall as Lisa and Molly herself as Clare the Dagenham girls were given a run for their money by Andrew Fowler as Eddie and Phil Knapman as Monty with excellent support from Chris Richards as Harold Wilson, Ruth Williams as Barbara Castle, Thomas Gibson as Hopkins, Matthew Bryant as Tooley and Luke Williams, Joe Pugh as his minders.

With other cast members playing various roles, this was at heart an ensemble piece, uncluttered by complicated staging, which allowed the performers to shine.

It’s perhaps testament to last year’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar that the theatre was packed for two nights, with audience members of all ages taking a chance on a show which was certainly not familiar to many.

It’s ironic that the only difficult moments of the evening came from an unexpected source when a lack of rehearsal with the theatre’s new technical equipment - which in a supreme irony last year’s production helped to purchase with its generous donation to A4B - meant there were unavoidable issues with sound, but thankfully nothing which could take the shine off this superb night of live, homegrown Borough Theatre entertainment.

With profits from the production being donated to A4B to help support the beleaguered theatre, the Borough and indeed Abergavenny has much to be grateful for to Molly and her amazing cast and crew. I look forward to next year!