STRICTLY Showtime’s secondary school-aged students ended the spring term with a bang as they staged Thoroughly Modern Millie at Alton Maltings.

Libby Lavers and Niamh Tayor put in spellbinding performances as Millie as Alton’s stage school performers threw themselves into countless song and dance routines to bring out the best in this nostalgic musical comedy.

The show, based on the 1967 film starring Julie Andrews, is set in 1920s New York where modern-thinking Millie, a new arrival from Kansas, plans to get a job and marry her boss.

The cast, students from Alton and nearby villages, were all in the 11 to 16 age group, with no adults or older children on stage. This has become the trademark of Strictly Showtime, whose aim is to give children aged four to 16 the maximum possible chances to appear in their own shows with children of their own age.

Next up for the 11 to 18 age group is West Side Story, which will be staged in Alton in November. Auditions take place in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, children aged four to seven staged a charming arrangement of the Rapunzel story and are now working on Mary Poppins.

At the same time, the junior age groups (seven to 12) are heavily immersed in rehearsals for their productions of Oliver, which takes place in June.

Jenny Abbott, head of Strictly Showtime, said: “It’s so rewarding for us to see the children’s confidence grow as they progress through our different age groups. The stunning performances in Thoroughly Modern Millie were among our best yet and the older students can’t wait to get going on West Side Story.

“Although over 60 years old, the show really has stood the test of time, so much so that it is being revived in a Steven Spielberg film in the next year.”

Heather Davies, teacher of students aged seven to 12, said: “Oliver is probably the most popular of all the shows we do and the children are just bursting to get onto the stage in June.

“We have so many talented children in the group we’re sure the audiences this summer will be blown away by the show.”

Tickets for Oliver in June are available from ticketsource.co.uk/strictlyshowtime.

Students can still join the West Side Story group (aged 11 to 18) or the Mary Poppins group (aged four to seven) by visiting strictlyshowtime.co.uk, calling 07875 764788, or e-mailing [email protected].

New children can try any group for free and the group take childcare vouchers and have big discounts for siblings.