"Fame The Musical" by Spotlight Theatre Company.

Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham.

"Fame The Musical" provides an open look at the New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, where sweat and hard work are the key factors to a successful life as a performer. The plot follows a group of students across the acting, dancing and music faculties from 1980-1984 as they learn to master their craft and grow up alongside each other, rising to the various challenges that face them in school and in their personal lives.

It's a more complex musical than it seems with its varied musical styles and varied choreography. Taking in street, ballet, tap, ballroom and contemporary. It also deals with some gritty subject matter like drugs and body image.

Preston Nash plays Nick Piazza, the young actor who had had a taste of fame through a TV commercial. Nick is the serious drama student who wants to perform serious drama and has no time for students who see him for the commercial success that he has achieved so far, in other words, Serena. Preston is the first actor you see on stage and opens the musical solo on stage with the number "PA/Hard Work". There's something special about hearing just the one voice to open a musical, acapella, it starts the tingles off, and then the rest of the cast appear and join him. The role of Piazza is a serious one, which also allows Preston to show what he can do as a serious actor, especially with the section from Shakespeare. Another strong performance by Mr N.

Emily Holder plays Nick's sparring partner, Serena Katz, who starts by having a bit of a crush on the character but soon gets to play Juliet to Nick's Romeo. I've been lucky to have been able to see many of these actors over a few years and have seen them develop and mature into wonderful players, and Emily is definitely one in that category. Emily has a beautiful voice which we get to hear some of in this role. The duet "Let's Play A Love Scene" with Preston is as sweet as salted caramel and is just as tasty.

I was really pleased to see Jack Lamb get a major role, and what a role in the wise-cracking over confident Joe Vegas. This role is packed with personality and fun; it's also a bit saucy, especially with the song "Can't Keep It Down". Comedy is definitely Jack's forte.

Tyra Jackson is played by  Ayanna Mzungu. Tyra has a bit of baggage stopping her from graduating but she battles through and comes out on top. And we all love a fighter don't we? Ayanna has great attitude, and you need that with the wonderfully energetic "Dancing On The Sidewalk". And Ayanna doesn't just shine in the dancing department because she can sing and perform athletic flips. Why have we not seen or heard of this talented young lady before?

Carmen Diaz,  the fame hungry student with a drug addiction who falls for Schlomo, but her love for fame and the white stuff is stronger, is played by Sophie Benner, and you really felt for Carmen when she sings "In L.A." Sophie is another young actor who I have seen blossom and mature over the years, and this role shows how far she has come. She has a voice that could cut glass, it's that clear and strong, as well as controlled, just listen to those long notes! Sophie also makes you believe the character she is playing just by the presence she has on stage.

Iris Kelly, the ballet dancer in this musical, is played by Caitlin Robinson. At first she appears to have everything, but we discover that image is not all it looks like. There's a connection between Tyra and Iris which helps both characters and betters them both throughout the show. Caitlin shows that she is a marvellous ballet dancer as well.

Mabel Washington is played by Scarlett Coleman-Smith, and gets to sing one of my favourite songs from the musical, "Mabel's Prayer", a rousing gospel-tinged number about her hunger, and not just for fame, that brought a massive round of applause from the audience at the end of the song.

I've changed my mind about the part of Schlomo because they used to be a bit nerdy, a bit of a geek, but Jessica Griffiths played down that image and presented the part as a caring, studious, as well as fun character. Maybe the gender swap in the character has an effect.

Playing the rock chick drummer, Grace "Lambchops" Lamb in Schlomo's band is Hermione Mae, and Hermione certainly looked the part of "Lambchops", especially with all that rock symbolism that she was giving out.

Completing the music students, and the band, is Goodman "Goody" King, played by Megan Holder.

The other students are played by Charlotte Bramwell, Grace Morozuik, Freya Ireson, Erin Perry, Orla Donohoe, Milly Robinson, Imogen Pullen, Freya Waters, Steph Booth, Allanah Kight, Fern Stephenson, Hallie Gregory, Edward Young, Amy Flatman, Harry Keiler, Karin Hurst, Jess Blackham, Lizzie Rhodes, Mia Jacks, Emily Ratcliffe, Izzy Lucas, Sophie Kerruish, Helena Cave, Evie Andrew, Tessa Gibbon, Hemani Kader, Josh Barrington, Esmie Smith-Cockayne, Olivia Finch and Jaz Leek.

The teachers were played by Tom Blakey (Mr Scheindkopf), Lucy Horton (Ms Myers), Darcey Adams (Ms Bell) and Hemi Lewis (Miss Sherman).

There were some feisty moments from Ms Bell and Miss Sherman as the dance and English teachers respectively which resulted in two stand out scenes in "The Teacher's Argument" and the highlight for me "These Are My Children".

This song has always been my favourite from this musical and Hemi just blew me away. An amazing power ballad vocal dripping with passion and emotion. I knew that Hemi had a good voice, but her version of this song was incredibly good.

Tom gave a really nice quirky interpretation of Mr Sheinkopf with the passion for music sliding into eccentricity, which I thought was great. I can remember the original film and Sheinkopf was just a little too laid back for me, and Tom gave his character a bit of a nutty vibe.

Directed by Liam Petruccio-Hall it had a fine pace and I love that he has made some of the little less interesting characters a bit of a make over by allowing the actors to inject personality into them, which made this production fresh.

Musical Director is Vicky Moroziuk, assisted by Laura McChrystal. I've already mentioned some of the vocals, a testament to the work that both Vicky and Laura have invested in these young actors. The final song "Bring On Tomorrow" includes all the actors and sounded the best that I have ever heard that song sound. I will admit that a tear was dragged up to my eye during this emotional song about hope. It certainly gave me the tingles as you can't beat that kind of ensemble singing. Think along the lines of "This Is Me" from "The Greatest Showman" or if you're as old as I am "Starmaker" from the TV series from the 1980's "Kids From Fame".

The Orchestra is entirely made up of young people, some who I've seen on stage before as well. If I hadn't known just how young the members of this orchestra were, I would never have believed it because the sound was amazingly good; as good as any adult orchestra I have ever heard, so I really need to mention them all and credit them for creating such a fantastic sound.

Isabella Raisin-Moss and Mason Owen (bass guitar), Jared Poyzer and Austin Owen (electric guitar), Oscar Lambert-Smith (electric and Spanish guitar), Noah Gamba (drums), Josh Harrison-Bett (percussion), Luca Yates (percussion and keys), Katilin Waddell (soprano, alto and tenor saxophones), Elise Stevens (trombone), Elsie Shore (clarinet), Faith Smith (trumpet and flugel), Kitty Haworth (flute).

Choreographed by Bethany Wear, assisted by Sophie Petruccio-Hall. Dance Captain is Amy Flatman. Need I say anything at all when you see the calibre involved in this section of the production. Exciting and energetic.

Lighting design is by Sarah Kerry and with a musical with this amount of energy, the lighting needs to match and keep up with the cast, and it did.

Sound design is by Rob Kettridge with his usual methodical fault free sound delivery. The Space always seems to produce a really good clear sound, as it did this afternoon.

Must also mention the programme, or playbill as it used to be called many years ago. Liam Petruccio-Hall has designed it to look like one of those old school books, some may have called them "jotters", and as soon as I saw it, it took me right back to my schooldays in the 1970's.