"Around The World in Twenty Musicals" by Your Chance Productions.
Bunkers Hill, Hockley, Nottingham.

Sitting back and being entertained by these seven talented people was like listening to one of those Greatest Hits Of the Musicals compilation CDs, but knowing every track and loving every one of them.

It never fails to impress me when, and especially in such a small venue as the upstairs room of Bunkers Hill, the clarity and quality of a singer shines through, and these seven have both of these qualities in abundance.

I would imagine performing, and that is exactly what they did, they performed the songs, they didn't just sing them, in such an intimate place, could be quite alarming, after all you can see the whites of the punter's eyes and feel and hear their breath. That mattered not to them as they took us on a trip around the world with this cleverly compiled mini concert.

John Gill started the evening with one of my favourite songs from "Jekyll & Hyde", "This Is the Moment", taking us through "Anthem" (Chess) and another powerful song "One Song Glory" (Rent). A wonderful performer of songs as you can see that he feels the words he sings. It's important to me for a singer to believe what they are trying to get us to believe, and John does just that.

Maddie Walker has such a powerful voice and she was not afraid to let us know it. From the wistful "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" (My Fair Lady) through "Cabaret", "I Know Him So Well" (Chess) with Eliza Hill, and "All That Jazz" (Chicago), Maddie also dressed for the parts. I love the ability to belt out a song and Maddie was not the only one to be able to do that.

Alison Sheppard made me sit up and really take notice as I've not heard a woman sing "Bring Him Home" (Les Miserables) before, but what a lovely surprise.Alison also gave a cracking, emotionally dripping version of "I Don't Know How To Love Him" (Jesus Christ Superstar), "Take Me Or Leave Me" (Rent) with Maddie Walker, "Hey Big Spender" (Sweet Charity), and an amazingly soulful version of "I Know Where I've Been" (Hairspray).

Eliza Hill also brought the emotion with "As Long As He Needs Me" (Oliver), "Change In Me" (Beauty & The Beast), plus a lovely whimsical "Pulled" (The Addams Family).

Tom Keetley brought the comedy into play with "Master Of The House" (Les Miserables) with Maddie, and "Hakuna Matata" (The Lion King) with Christian Oliver-Bates. It's about time Tom was given a main part in a comic musical role, possibly something like The Producers?

Emily Wilkins has one of those voices that I could listen to all night and her smile lights up the whole room. "Think Of Me" (Phantom Of The Opera), "Lay All Your Love On Me" (Mamma Mia) with Christian, "Jacob and Sons" and "Joseph's Coat" (Joseph),and "Good Morning Baltimore" (Hairspray), gave her and us plenty to smile about.

Christian Oliver-Bates, aside from his duets, gave us a couple of solo successes with "It Takes Two" (Hairspray) and "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" (Oklahoma), showing leading man tendencies.

Rounding off the evening was a collective cast performance of songs from "The Wiz", and I didn't see the audience in a rush to pop those ruby slippers on to transport them back home.

Our guide for this global trip around the musicals was Jessie Meg who was the perfect compere and host.

If I had been a talent scout tonight, I would have not known which of these to scout, I'd have had to have taken the lot on because any one of these could appear in the musical of their choice. Their voices are so varied and they are performers of songs, not just singers.

I've had the pleasure of seeing most of them perform before and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again, hopefully.

A wonderful evening of such talent should though be supported by a bigger turnout, which was a bit of a shame, but it was other's loss who missed their chance, and definitely this small audience's gain in experiencing Your Chance..