A HOST of incredibly talented youth actors prove there will be a wealth of performance in York for years to come with Pick Me Up's production of Les Miserables Youth Production at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.

Set designer Robert Readman deserves credit for his beautifully designed set pieces. Industrial in style, the large set piece suits the factories and streets of Paris, and the impressive barricade structure made from ordinary furniture is a nice addition to show defences made with minimum equipment. Likewise the lighting is simple but effective, channelling the Tricolore and proving a brilliant technical trick in the attack sequences.

It's the cast though who steal the show in George Stagnell's impressive directorial debut. The set may show a backdrop of France in distress, but it's the heartbreaking vocals of Maren Fageras Naevdal's Fantine and Hannah Richardson's Eponine which really convince you they are right in the heart of Paris.

Although both actresses have limited stage time, they completely own their scenes and command the audience's attention until their last appearance. Naevdal in particular gives a brilliant performance as a woman broken before her time.

The entire cast show an impressive range of vocals, with several noteworthy solos by Sam Hird. His Jean Valjean is pitched nicely, not overacting while packing a punch into his quieter moments. Fans of the song Bring Him Home will be happy to hear that Hird does the song justice and then some. Sam Baxter and Maya Bartley O' Dea are a delightfully immoral Thenardier couple, showing good chemistry and delivering laughs at every turn.

The technical tricks to combat a lack of stage space/larger battle scenes work very well. Conor Mellor tackles the banister scenery very well during his final appearance as a now weary Javert, showing a contrast to his earlier portrayal.

It's a shame there isn't more choreography within the chorus numbers. We see a good example of choreographer Jessica Hardcastle's skill during Beggars At The Feast, but her skillset on the whole feels a little underused when we see larger set pieces with not much blocking.

Likewise, the on-stage combat varies throughout the performance. Hird and Mellor throw blows and scuffle convincingly, but on a few other occasions (the first attack on the barricade, for instance) the combat can feel a bit more staged than natural. These are minor qualms however, which I'm sure the dedicated cast will iron out by the next performance.

The cast handle mature themes and a very demanding score brilliantly, . For all the effort they've put in, Pick Me Up can be proud of another successful production which audiences are bound to enjoy whether they're familiar with Les Mis or not. Strong vocal performances and nifty technical touches make this a step up for youth theatre productions.

Pick Me Up Theatre present Les Miserables, Youth Production, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight to Saturday, then February 24 to 27, 7.30pm nightly plus 2.30pm Saturday matinees. Box office: 01904 623568 or pickmeuptheatre.com