A marvel of technical wizardry and excellent performances characterise the latest production at the Daneside Theatre.

Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre's presentation of "The Wizard of Oz" features a great many flashes of brilliance in direction and performances.

The jokes were delivered by the cast possibly better than in any production I have witnessed at the theatre.

The direction by Richard Jervis included clever uses of video and projection, lighting and smoke machines and the pace was exactly right throughout.

The only criticism was the slightly sloppy set changes, although the sets themselves were cleverly designed and well used, with special mention for the forest scene, Emerald City and witch's castle.

The props and costumes, especially the giant wizard and the poisonous poppy field, were extremely well constructed, but some of the necessary elements like the yellow brick road were strangely absent, confusing the audience.

The music, conducted by Kathryn Green, while a little shaky in the opening overture, was very good throughout, adding to the atmosphere of the scenes, and the recorded effects were especially well used during the opening hurricane sequence.

The choreography was tightly arranged in most of the sequences and there was good interaction with the audience, with the leads and Winkies moving down the aisles.

Hester Bond, as Dorothy, gave a sprightly performance and strongly sang the big numbers.

However, the comedy trio of Alex Bond (Scarecrow), Simon Matthews (Tin Man) and Craig Young (Lion) were excellent, with great comic timing and a real feel for the slapstick characteristics of their characters.

Laura Matthews, as the Wicked Witch of the West, portrayed the necessary cackling, hissable villain with gusto, while David Lilley and Sarah Woodward both performed strongly as Uncle Henry and Auntie Em respectively.

The rest of the young cast performed admirably and Toto the dog, unlike the dog in "Annie", was an extremely good actor and stole the show in parts.

"The Wizard of Oz", which runs until tomorrow (Saturday), is an excellent production that boasts a variety of technical tricks and good performances.

A.M.