FROM South Pacific to Saturday Night Fever, Sondheim to Six, Broadway Showtunes is an absolute delight from start to finish.

A must-see for any musical theatre fan, the annual production, staged by Bournemouth's not-for-profit Big Little Theatre Company, takes the audience on a whirlwind journey through a whole host of shows, giving uber talented youngsters of all ages a chance to shine.

And shine they did – every single member of this 150-strong cast, from the littlest cartwheeling jiver in Saturday Night Fever, to the sassy queens of Six, brought a boundless energy, consummate professionalism and a mesmerising confidence to the stage.

The amount of talent in this company is just astonishing. I was blown away by the vocal performances in particular, and I have no doubt that there are many, many budding Lin Manuel Mirandas and Idina Menzels just waiting in the wings to take the world of musical theatre by storm.

With the help of simple but extremely effective multi-level staging, we are treated to snippets from the classics, including Sweet Charity, Gypsy and 42nd Street, to some newer, lesser known shows such as Bonnie & Clyde, Back to the Future and Catch Me If You Can, to name a few, giving each age group a chance to have their own starring role.

Upbeat, slick choreography is no mean feat with this many performers on stage, but the routines were spot on, with musical accompaniment from a live band of West End musicians adding a little extra magic.

And the finale, with the entire cast singing the moving You Will Be Found, from Dear Evan Hanson, had a powerful, lasting effect. Expect great things from the entire cast of Big Little.

Broadway Showtunes runs until Saturday, July 16 at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth.

EMMA JOSEPH