I don’t think I can remember a time when the future of amateur theatre in this area seemed less assured than it has in the past few months.

Not even when the Borough Theatre’s future hung in the balance did anyone thing that the companies which make their home there were at risk but now the picture - for the moment at least - seems a little bleak.

I’m sure there will be light at the end of the tunnel and that everyone connected with the arts will lend their full support - after all to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, ‘if we don’t fight for the arts what’s left worth fighting for’?

If anyone needed evidence of this sentiment, they had only to visit the Borough Theatre at the end of last week when the young students of Theatre Workshop Cymru staged their annual production - which this time took audiences to the land of Duloc where green tinged ogre Shrek, joined forces with a chatty donkey to rescue the obligatory fairy tale princess from the clutches of a amorous dragon.

If this wasn’t enough to raise the spirits, the enthusiastic performance of the young cast certain was.

Ranging in age from (barely) four years old up to 17 the cast clearly delighted in the chance to show off the stage skills they learn over the course of the year, singing and dancing their way through the fast paced production.

Layla Edwards led the fairy tale cast in the title role - no mean feat when hidden behind a mask and massive green gloves - with Phoebe Evans as Fiona and Paige Wiltshire as the ever-exuberant Donkey.

Great support came from Branwen Davies as Lord Farquaad, Amelie Breteau as the Dragon and Beatrix Gaitskell as the ‘human’ face of the puppet Gingerbread man with a lovely long-nosed cameo from Jameson Gaitskell as Pinocchio.

With some lively singing and dancing from the large and well drilled ensemble, the action was moved along well by the trio of storytellers played by Amelia Davies, Lucie Hall and Isabella Prosser.

Colourful costumes and a minimal but effective set added to the overall look of the production with the chorus drawing whoops of approval from the audience with their every appearance.

As always at this point I’ll doubtless blot my copy book by making my constant plea to directors - work, work, work on diction. The performances can be amazing but if the audience struggles to understand what the actors are saying it’s an issue and one which blights almost every junior production I’ve seen over the last 30 years or so.

So, was this a perfect performance? Probably not. But was this a performance packed with life, colour and a young cast relishing every second of being on stage? Most definitely!

With companies like Theatre Workshop Cymru thriving and attracting dozens of new young performers to the stage where they are able learn from the experiences of teachers and directors who themselves are part of the amateur community, things suddenly start to look a little less depressing and there’s a definite feeling that there really is a Big,Bright, Beautiful World out there!