I REALLY enjoyed this performance by Kidderminster College students, who had created a clever set and had gone to a great deal of trouble with their costumes.

Kurt Weill's music is difficult to sing, but without exception they performed the musical items well.

Ashley Boorman was outstanding as Macheath (Mac the Knife), his steely eyes sometimes looking quite menacing, and Rachel Cole was a good Polly, changing from quite a sweet young girl into a much harder character.

Her dad was played brilliantly by Russell Grindley, a conniving, double-dealing man who quotes the Bible to excuse his transgressions.

I could go on, naming the rest of the cast, all of whom played their roles well, but space won't permit.

However, I must pick out Louise Parker as Low Dive Jenny, her performance leaving an impression, Natasha Lotfi as Matt o' the Mint, and the busy Helen MacKinnon, whose main role was that of Dreary Walter in Mac's gang, but also played a beggar, a parson, and a whore!

It's sleazy, with bad language, but this production was a refreshing change from the usual run-of-the-mill plays and deserved a much bigger audience than on the first night.

VJS.