I'm not so sure if all of Britain's got talent but I'm certain Hastings has. The 43rd annual Hastings Gang Show kicked off on Wednesday at the White Rock Theatre and I am pleased to say that I had a privileged look at the dress rehearsal. With a cast of over 130 people, mostly young adults or children, dozens of sets, hundreds of lighting cues, you may have been forgiven if you thought that it couldn't be done! My initial trepidation was replaced by pure enjoyment; this was family variety entertainment at its best.

From the opening numbers "The sun has got his hat on" and "Ugly bug ball" all the way through to the final bows; the cast did an amazing job in entertaining the audience with songs, comic sketches and dancing of the highest calibre. There were a few teething problems – the usual dress rehearsal nerves, lighting not quite right, but this did nothing to dampen the energy of all of the cast. Laugh out loud moments were abundant in lots of sketches, one of the most memorable starred the talented Harry Banks – I won't spoil the surprise you'll have to see it for yourself, but suffice it to say Harry showed a lot of cheek!

Unlike other gang shows there was a chance for all ages to shine, an excellently acted "policeman" sketch consisted of some of the younger members of the cast, and a Hairspray number worked brilliantly with the ever popular Kitson Wellard as lead (dressed as a woman!) together with Jess as his daughter. Other memorable moments included Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" sung by Lauren, Lucy Collins, Sam, Beck, Alice, Aileen, Helen, Sophie Phillips and Ashley. "Close to you" with Aaron Aileen, Colin Adams and Chloe Stevens (and a bunch of fairies), and a "sends shivers down your spine" version of "Time of my life" led confidently by Anya and Kitson….. delightful.

One of the highlights of the evening was a superbly choreographed version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Truly scrumptious was delightfully sung by Sam Moore and Steve Pickering and the emergence of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, together with smoke and lighting effects topped off this truly remarkable number.

Helen Bird musical director took charge of the proceedings with a firm hand, the three piece band were formidable. Costumes were beautifully designed by Krista Pickering; the attention to detail was impressive.

Producers Fiona Adams, Kitson Wellard and Steve Pickering have pulled of a near miracle with the size and scale of this show which continues until Saturday evening. If you get a chance I would strongly recommend the whole family going to see it.

Stewart Farmer