WHEN his dad walks out, Ren McCormack (Steve Hosking) is uprooted from Chicago to small town Beaumont.

A town, which is afraid to let go of its past and contemplate a future with free will. Ariel (Liberty Buckland), the Reverand’s daughter, struggles with her conflicting emotions and dreams of escaping the shackles of the past. Well matched with Hosking, the pair share their teenage angst and fight to free the town with a new found maturity in their heartfelt performances.

Set against a minimalist backdrop, Showstoppers maximised the scene possibilities with movable set pieces and created space for some innovative and energetic dance numbers (Ruth Angus and Megan Gibson). There were high octane performances from everyone, whether principal or ensemble and the director (Daniel Farrell) introduced some comedy to lighten the mood.

The sound needed some adjustment and more could have been made of the lighting but this didn’t detract from the polished performances we were treated to.

REBECCA CASE