Review: Anne of Green Gables, The Musical, Flying Ducks Youth Theatre, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York

12:08pm Monday 2nd April 2007

YOU won't find Anne Of Green Gables in the standard guide to film and stage musicals and apparently it hasn't been seen in the West End since the Seventies.

However, Flying Ducks' co-director Jill Sissons came across Donald Harron and Norman Campbell's musical adaptation of Lucy Montgomery's book in Canada, whereupon she encouraged producer Stephen Outhwaite to give it a whirl in York.

He calls it "Annie with class", drawing comparison with another musical tale of an orphan girl of strong will and independent determination. This one is Anne Shirley, she of the red hair and freckles and the temper of Billy Bremner.

Played by Escrick schoolgirl Amy Hargreaves, 17, Anne shakes up the early 19th century Canadian island community as much as Amy's arrival gives the Flying Ducks show a lift.

Amy has cheek and charm, a smile that lights up the stage, an ear for the Canadian accent and a love of singing that is infectious.

Adopted by Rob Joyce's kind-hearted, but ailing, farmer Matthew Cuthbert and his God-fearing sister Marilla (stern Bethany Sissons), despite their asking expressly for a boy, Anne befriends the blossom-pretty Diana Barry (Rebecca King), spats with school heartthrob Gilbert Blythe (Sam Whyte, bags of stage personality) and fascinates the town gossips.

Outhwaite's well-dressed cast and Jay Crossland's musicians greatly enjoy the bright and emotional songs, the characterful comedy and sticky-sweet sentimentality of a family musical complete with a glorious celebration of ice cream and shoe-throwing choreography.