A Holly Jolly Christmas.

It's that time of the year again where we pull out the decorations and the tree and try to capture the Christmas spirit. SALOS have done just that! Their latest offering is a mixture of familiar Christmas carols, show tunes and folk music. With a musical ensemble consisting of Sue Penhale on Piano and Robert Brown on Flute, the audience were witness to a traditional old school Christmas celebration.

SALOS was established in 1983 and many of these veteran performers are still treading the boards. Adorned with colourful costumes and big smiles the large cast entertained the appreciative audience for 2 hours with well-known anthems that were clear favourites.

Dance sequences were kept simple with attention being given to the musical repertoire. Guest dancers Hannah Watson and Melissa Dale from In Step School of Dance were a lovely addition and delighted with their skill.

Directors Pam Tucker and Heather Hutton have crammed a lot into this show, filling in gaps with humorous skits and guest performers to add variety to this production. Some numbers would have benefited with more rehearsal, but there were some genuine highlights throughout. Duo Ralph Gourlay and Marion Manuel added a touch of folk to the evening and sounded very much like the legendary group The Seekers. James Murphy, Sean Nugent and Sandra Fameli displayed talent and experience.

The stage was bare apart from a Christmas tree upstage, but the space was needed for this large ensemble. If you are a fan of tradition and operettas then this show should be successful in putting you in the Christmas spirit.

Kerry Cooper