WAY back at the turn of the century I reviewed an AAODS Juniors production of the musical Honk at Abergavenny’s Borough Theatre and playing one of the leading roles was a promising youngster called Cait Stephens.

On Friday night I was once again at the Borough, but this time to review a production of Beauty and the Beast staged by the very same Cait’s own theatre training school Theatre Workshop Cymru.

It was the culmination of months of rehearsal featuring a young cast with some of those on stage aged just four and five, yet still throwing themselves into the action with gusto.

Taking the leading roles of Belle and the Beast were Naia Price-Brown and Branwen Davies who worked well together and with the younger cast.

Great support was provided by Lyla Edwards as Gaston, Paige Wiltshire as Cogsworth, Mabel Hoggins as Lumiere and Beatrix Gaitskill as Madam de le Grande Bouche.

Also delighting the audience and stealing their scenes were Amelia Davies and Isabel Davies as Mrs Potts and Chip and Bradley Whyatt as the comic Lefou.

Great cameo performances came from Elin Woods, Anwen Williams, Amber Jones, Delphi Watkins, Lucie Hall, Freya Higgins, Lily Walters an Ellie-Jai Little.

This wasn’t a perfect performance but it was a performance with heart, enthusiasm and an obvious love for being on stage, which more than made up for its shortcomings.

All praise should go to the cast and crew - especially when you consider they did the whole production with a twin cast from the Brecon group, which performed the next day.

One of the greatest things about amateur theatre is that it is constantly evolving and growing and Beauty and the Beast was the perfect embodiment of this…and proof that the future of theatre in Abergavenny is in safe hands.