ALBERT Brown, Paul Bower and Angie Broomfield have been quietly presenting theatre in the local area for 13 years as Theatre 2000.

From beginnings in the Burley Village Hall via The Pavilion Theatre, Pavilion Ballroom and finally coming to have more or less permanent residency in the Regent Theatre. Never have they excelled more than in Christchurch this week with an absolutely stunning premiere performance of The Phantom of the Opera.

To even contemplate staging such a production let alone to present it with a cast of young people would have been beyond the thoughts of many companies.

But stage it with such flair and amazing vocal performances they did. With an orchestra of 24 musicians and staging requirements of great complexity it deserved a far bigger stage.

But regretfully The Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth remains out of bounds to most local amateur companies due of course to the economic restraints placed upon these companies which is a great shame.

Surely reasonable hire rates should be made available to local companies when there appears to be gaps in the professional production schedule. All credit must go to four very talented young people who sang such a difficult score with such perfection.

The new youth group move on to another Lloyd Webber score with Joseph later in the year and no doubt promises to be of equal success.

DAVID KINGMAN, Exton Road, Bournemouth