This updated show has had extra dialogue added by Michael Meyer, and lyrics modified by Andrew Lippa.

This two-hour, bright, lively, light-hearted spectacular is brought to you by a cast of young adult actors (14 – 20 ish), and is presented by the Garrick Theatre Club, at the Garrick Theatre, 16 Meadow Street, Guildford. The curtains go up every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8.00 pm, and Sunday afternoons 5^th and 12^th at 2.00 pm.

The Garrick has a three-hour class (TAG – teens at Garrick) once a month for youngsters who want to learn stage skills.

The set is a wonderful copy of the cartoon we all love. A background of blue skies, clouds, a path through the grass and a lone fir tree, all painted in primary colours (Nicole Tonkin, Cherie Tucker, Lisa Johnston). There is a big, red kennel with a flat area on the roof – for Snoopy to sleep. Each character has a wooden box, painted in their colour, adorned with their faces (artwork Annette Underhill).

The set construction was by Brad Hassett, Dave Stevens, Mirekle and Jennifer Bejr and Clayton Reichert. Amber Southall, who along with Celeste produced the colourful programme, also put a great deal of work into the foyer display of Peanuts cartoons and drawings.

       Today is a good day. Everyone seems to like shy, insecure Charlie Brown (Liam Gobbert), but is he really a ‘Good Man’? Most days he is obsessed with the red-haired girl whom he sees each lunchtime. Some day he may have the courage to sit next to her.

      Music student, Schroeder (Caleb Stevens) is obsessed with Beethoven, playing the ‘Moonlight Sonata’ on the piano, day in day out; but adoring Lucy (Brittany Isaia) doesn’t mind, she just watches him and drools – fanaticising about how, some day, she will become a Queen and marry Schroeder.

      Snoopy (Liam Borbas) does not talk much; he prefers to lie on top of his kennel, gazing at the clouds. Genius Linus (Charlie Darlington) – Lucy’s brother – wanders past clutching his security blanket. He may be intelligent, but he is a dreamer and child at heart. His schoolyard friends try to steal his blanket, but in a delightful scene, he sits and imagines all the security blankets coming alive and dancing.

       Charlie’s attractive but dumb sister, Sally (Tania Morrow) shows everyone her latest sculpture, made from coat hangers! Why did she only get a ‘D’?

       Snoopy dreams and fanaticises of the years he was a fighter pilot in World War I and how he defeated the Red Baron.

We spend a few days with Charlie and his friends, enjoying their adventures and ‘living’ many of his cartoon strips.

The costumes (Celeste Underhill, Fran Gordon, with wigs by Lynda Stubbs) were colour co-ordinated and beautifully finished off. Clayton Reichert and Brad Hassett’s lighting was well planned and operated. Ben Anderson and Alexander Fleckner capably operated Geoff Holt’s fun sound design.

The cartoon syndicate and copyrighters supplied the quirky, lively music. Krispin Maesalu, Karl and Christina Dietrich gave the cast vocal and singing guidance. The cast were all very talented singers, who could belt out the song perfectly whilst dancing and smiling. Amber Southall precisely taught the New York accents.

Even though the director, Celeste Underhill, is a talented dance teacher and experienced director, for this unusual show, she had to find a cast that could speak with an American accent, sing well, dance gracefully, and have good stage presence, whilst displaying exuberance and energy throughout the show. Finally, an excellent comedic delivery was essential. With young actors, having one of these talents is admirable, but to find half a dozen players with all of these talents is amazing. This cast had huge chemistry, and engaged the audience from the opening scene.

This is a feel-good show for all of the family. 6 to 96 year olds will love it. Great fun.

The LP soundtrack of the 1984 film sold 15 million copies. Two of the songs being nominated for Oscars.

This bright and effervescent musical is being performed by the Darlington Theatre Players at Marloo Theatre, Marloo Road, Greenmount each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening at 8.00, with matinees on Sundays at 2.00 pm until Saturday 12^th March.

There were no sets as such, but there were some very impressive structures (George Boyd designer) which were beautifully built and perfectly conveyed the atmosphere of the locality. Some were massive, such as the sport’s stadium, terrace seating – which moved around in total silence. Other features include the church entrance, a soda bar and barbeque eatery. The only ‘standard set’ is the minister’s home (props Raelene Cover). There were about two dozen involved in the construction, with a further dozen as stage crew.

The production was managed by Gail Palmer, and stage-managed by Rob Warner and David Bain – most impressive.

       Teenage Ren (Liam Borbas) and his Mum, Ethel (Clare Fazackerley), move from Chicago to the Mid-West, woop woop town of Bomont, to live with Ren’s Aunt Lulu (Jacqui Warner) and Uncle Wes (Alan Markham).

      At Ren’s new school is Ariel (Brittany Isaia), daughter of the puritanical minister, Reverend Moore (John Taylor) and his wife, Vi (Kylie Isaia). Ariel has an obnoxious boyfriend, Chuck Cranston (Blake Prosser), who works at the local garage with three wasters, Travis (Ethan Acott), Lyle (Owen Davis) and Rhett (Alistair Ball). Ariel’s school friends, Wendy-Jo (Suzy June Wakeling), Rusty (Teah Dunning) and Urleen (Charlize Gosnell) try to warn her about Chuck but Ariel will not listen.

       Ren finds himself being outcast by the school Principal (Michele Acott) for being too outspoken. Even local cop (David Seaman) gives him a ticket. The sports coach, Mr Dunbar (Luke Miller) and his wife, Eleanor (Sarah Palmer), treat Ren shabbily because they are Bridge friends of the Rev. Shaw.

       Whilst in Betty’s (Rachel Vonk) ‘Blast’ soda café, shy Willard (Chris Ball) explains the no pop music and dancing policy of the town council. As the trio sing (Georgia Kinnane, Nicola Kinnane and Belinda Beatty) Ren musters his classmates and unsuccessfully demands a senior prom, and so with a group of friends drive 100 miles to an untamed night of liberty at the Bar BQ Club. The Club is a wild place, where Bob (Simon Dreyer) and the cowgirls (Gemma Addison and Eden Sambridge) boot scoot, as the singers (Darin Aqila, Charlie Darlington) chant.

      Can Ren win Ariel’s heart? With the help of friends, Jeter (Billy Darlington) and Garvin (Matt Manning), can anything be done win over Reverend Moore’s mind block?

Other performers include: Steph Shaw, Aaliyah Thompson, Asha Vivian, Brooklyn Kamer, Rebecca Mattison, ​​Channing Whitworth, Laura Goodlet, Nieve Hope, Caitlyn Hughes, Sophie Todd, Jordan Tabb, Emilie Tiivel, Tania Morrow, Clare Smale, Caitlin Walker and Luke Heath.

Suzanne Kosowitz, the musical director, has done an outstanding job. The music from her seven-piece band was well-balanced and complemented the singing, rather than have the poor singers fighting to be heard (as so often happens). The band members were Tabitha Broughton (woodwind), Thomas Felton (Electric bass), Cameron Hayes and Harrison Love (Guitar), Jo Keenan and Daniel Slee (Keyboard) with Richard Pooley (Drums).

With a cast of ‘thousands’, each wearing around four intricate and stylish costumes each, wardrobe mistress Marjorie De Caux wisely enlisted the help of Shelly Miller, Rachel Vonk and Sophie Todd. The result was stunning, plenty of colour and quality, all based in that era three decades ago.

The choreography, thanks to Arianah Isaia skills, was inventive and fresh. With such a huge cast to handle, there is inevitably a couple of actors out of sync, however, this cast – right up to the final curtain – were smiling, fully charged and performing quite complex movements. Even the singers had intricate arm and hand movements. The dancing ranged from romantic waltz, boot scooting, soft shoe to tap dancing.

The sound, designed by Chris Hewitt, Greg Rusha and Dylan Borbeau, was brilliant. The train sound effects (Anita Bound, Lesley Broughton) amazing. The slight echo used on the voices gave them depth, and the ‘dreaded’ headsets actually worked perfectly.

Joy Miles and Shelly Miller’s pulsing light design was in sync with the music, with the choice of colours and brightness levels spot-on. Well done Lesley Broughton, Julie Hickling and Lachie Kessey.

The directors, Joe Isaia and his assistant Michele Acott, had to oversee dozens of youngsters and complicated teching, before they even got to the singing and dancing. Joe selected a great team and it showed. Most productions are lucky to get a couple of good singers and the rest are average. This production had at least a dozen talented singers, and most of them could dance beautifully too.

EVERY single actor was fully rehearsed, and performed immaculately. Congratulations.

This fun musical has drive, colour and vibrancy, try and catch it.