STAGE REVIEW: Our Town - at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Wednesday, August 10 to Saturday, August 13, 2016.

THIS absorbing, amusing yet moving reflection on the daily grind of life was quite a departure for the Malvern Theatres' Young Company’s annual offering.

In past years their concentration has been with the musical genre - Jesus Christ Superstar, Oliver, and last year’s splendid offering of Les Miserables.

This time, for its fifth anniversary production, it’s Thornton Wilder’s observation of life in a small fictional American town, Grover’s Corner in New Hampshire, in the early 1900s - its day-by-day events such as the milk and newspaper deliveries, relationships - warts and all, and the sadness felt at times of tragedy.

Incredibly Our Town, which was first performed in 1938 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, has been performed every night since its premiere somewhere in the United States.

Basically it feels more like a drama-documentary focusing on two families who live next door to each other and we are led through their lives by the local theatre’s stage manager-cum-narrator, splendidly and confidently portrayed by Jacob Buckley, whose delivery and timing was near faultless.

There was fine support too from other members of the young cast whose ages ranged from 13 and over.

Ben Mowbray impressed as Dr Gibbs, and so too did the pair at the centre of the love element - Toby Burchell’s George and Saskia Nicholls’ Emily, while Toby Platt came over well as Simon Stimson, the church organist with a drink problem.

Astutely and sensitively directed by Nic Lloyd, he has ensured it has stayed true to its original minimalist theatrical style. And it still managed, even with such a low level use of props, to provide a number of atmospheric moments - particularly the final graveyard scene.

Another fine offering from the the MTYC to add to their burgeoning reputation and which once again showed Worcestershire has some outstanding acting talent for the future.

They will also be presenting a second summer production later this month with Seussical, the musical based on the works of Dr Seuss. The ages of the cast for this musical will be from eight to 24 years and they will be performing in the Forum Theatre from Tuesday, August 23 through to Saturday, August 27.