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It may have been November outside but Hilltop certainly brought June to the Pentyrch Village Hall following a last minute 24 hour recasting of the lead role Billy Bigelow. Due to illness  Ryan Jenkins ( a fine performer), had been replaced by James Rocky, on the evening I attended the show and I must say in true Rocky fashion James put on a great performance with some outstanding vocals and great stage presence throughout, well done!

A strong cast and some clever direction helped this show move along with great pace. The basic set did not really enhance this performance, however some good lighting and projection did lift its appearance from time to time. I have to admire the way Liam Daily stages such large productions on such a small stage. Laura Salter and Tim Driscoll gave fine interpretations of Carrie Pipperidge and Mr Snow while Linda Coombes as Nettie and Laura Salter as Julie Jordan gave us some great vocal highlights in a show which has a great score. The chorus singing was well controlled from the front by Geraint Bessant who gave us a master class in controlling tempo, balance and musicality from the pit, something so often overlooked in productions. Jigger Craigin was well portrayed by Liam Oram and the show was a delight to watch. Thank you Hilltop.

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