RYEDALE Youth Theatre’s annual showwas another winner from the West End, Evita.

Blessed with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this wonderful adaptation had every hallmark of a truly professional production...and what a production.

From the sad and solemn opening to the final heart-rending scenes this cast gave their audience an unforgettable musical insight into the story of Eva Duarte Peron.

The story was “narrated” in song by Che (a very mature performance by Dominic Weatherill), who linked the scenes and gave a running commentary in song of Eva’s journey from “the sticks” to becoming the First Lady of Argentina. He captured the essence of the young man who loved his country but felt that it was being ruined by successive poor governments.

Eva, in an amazing performance by 16-year-old Hannah Richardson, sang and danced her way into our hearts as we joined her on her fateful journey. Early on in the show she told us that the people of Buenos Aires were going to get “a little bit of star quality”; this Evita has a lot more than a little bit of star quality, she truly must be a star of the future.

Having reached Buenos Aires and discarded her ticket out of the sticks (Ollie Fearn’s nightclub singer Magaldi, looking every inch the gentleman), Eva – now a radio actress – meets Colonel Peron (Adam Peel, bringing just the right level of military gravitas to his role) and her future takes a major upward turn. Eva’s first action as Peron’s latest flame is to get rid of his mistress (Beth Armstrong), whose pain at her rejection we shared as she sang Another Suitcase In Another Hall.

The actress and the colonel marry, and Eva’s political ambitions gain momentum, but unfortunately her health lets her down and she collapses.

The cry of help from her anguished husband as he found her unconscious on the floor was heartbreaking.

There were so many moments of sheer theatrical and musical brilliance in this show.

The costumes: Evita had 15 different costumes under the care of wardrobe mistress Yvonne Young. The dancing: such inventive choreography by director Angela Kirkham and Ali Kirkham. The music: a six-piece band under musical director Chris Hocking and musical choral director Martin Dixon.

All combined to make Evita a stunning success. Songs melted into dance and as dancers left the stage vocal solos and duets seamlessly followed in flawless transitions. Mention must be made of the set too, built by Piddy Young, which cleverly contained all the action throughout the show.

The ensemble cast, aged from eight to 18, have once again treated us to a show where the “star quality” was pouring from the stage, coming from the whole cast. They all thoroughly deserved the standing ovation they received.

Review by Ann-Marie Gatford