YOUNG actors on the College of West Anglia, Isle Campus BTEC Performing Arts course, the Nine Lives, performed a one night only show to parade their talents.

The Wisbech based students were given devastating news that due to cut backs their course was to be removed from Wisbech and joined with similar courses at King’s Lynn.

As a part of the students’ fervent campaign to retain the course in Wisbech, they asked if the Angles Theatre would allow them to mount a one night performance to show the audience just how good they are and how determined and enthusiastically they are prepared to fight their corner as well as to encourage outside support.

The theatre happily agreed and provided all the necessary technical and hosting facilities free of charge as a way of showing their support for the students who always bring a vibrancy and passion to the theatre whenever they study or perform there.

Kevin Shippey, director of the Angles Theatre’s RATz company, said: “Our recently hugely successful musical ‘Spring Awakening’ would not have been cast if we didn’t have the college kids audition.”

A course spokesman said: “The ‘Save the Nine Lives Theatre Company’ show was performed on Wednesday night and was a brilliant success with the students performing to a full house and to a standing ovation.

“The singing was strong and tuneful; the dancing energetic; the speeches keen and focused. Most touching, however, was the strong display of camaraderie and the genuine tear jerking finale.

“Wisbech should be proud that their youth have the determination to fight for what they believe in and to put together a strong campaign and a concert of quality in such a short space of time.

“With the course elsewhere, Fenland would end up not providing its young people with the opportunities of experiencing a quality performing arts facility.”

The Isle Campus students come from all over Fenland and the lack of similar facilities and experiences would mean the course would not be able to offer the students the same ‘stepping stone’ to realise their dreams in the performing arts.