Les Miserables -- Little Saods

Even for professional performers Les Miserables, with its continuous singing and epic scope, is a demanding show.

I certainly don't know an adult amateur operatic society in our area who would be capable of pulling it off.

For a youth theatre, then, with no members aged over 18, it must have been a monumental task.

A monumental triumph, too, as Skipton Amateurs' junior spin-off Little Saods took on the hit show about the French Revolution.

Don't be taken in by the "School Edition" tag -- this shortened version is still a mighty, meaty, memorable musical.

Without performers of immense talent in the many principal roles, with confidence and voices to die for, it would have been an embarrassing mess.

With -- and Little Saods were certainly with -- we got a fantastical theatrical experience that warmed, stirred, and finally broke the heart. The complex story of ex-convict Jean Valjean's struggle for forgiveness, flowing with love, war, hope and despair, rang clear and true.

So many principals and chorus members shone that it's impossible to mention everyone: for me the best were Sam Parry, Adriana Gentile, Daniela Laughlin and Vahan Salorian.

But full marks to everyone involved from Keighley, Skipton and surrounding areas, front and backstage, for both initial bravery and final victory.

David Knights

Arsenic and Old Lace -- Leeds Grand

In this black comedy we discover that every family has the odd cuckoo but the Brewsters have a whole nest full.

The two old Brooklyn ladies are really mass murderers with the use of a potent cocktail of elderberry wine arsenic.

Throw into the mix their three nephews; Teddy who thinks he is president of the United States, Mortimer who seems the sanest of the bunch, and Jonathan who bears an uncanny likeness to Boris Karloff. Arsenic and Old Lace has a cast of well-known known faces like Angela Thorne and Brigit Forsyth who gave likeable performances.

I am sad to say the accidental fall of a curtain pole was a highlight of a slow first act that left me feeling a little disappointed.

The pace picked up in the second and third acts, largely due to an excellent performance from Sylvester McCoy that provided the most laughs.

The play is an entertaining romp that was enough to keep this reviewer chuckling for a couple of hours.

Dean Harness

Continuum -- Keighley Arts Factory

This exhibition of painting and mixed media is a brave undertaking by KAF.

I'm not a big fan of abstract art myself -- it's generally paint splodges on canvas masquerading as masterpieces -- I find it phoney and lazy.

The first collection is a series of white paintings by Craig Atkinson. These are simply white canvases featuring childish etchings and blobs of colour. Dull and lifeless they disappear into the walls -- maybe that is the point but I don't get it.

The exhibition does get better though.

Freya Horsley's series of landscapes struck a chord with me.

Aptly her work looks like scenes from Wuthering Heights. Steaks of grey, black and white create blustery storm scenes reminiscent of the Bront classic.

The haunting Sounding depicting rays of sunlight through thunderous clouds is the stand-out piece of the whole exhibition.

Continuum runs until March 17.

Gemma Berry