STAGE School: Auditions were in progress during my visit on April 30.

Young trainee actors and actresses presented their interpretations of roles that they hoped to play in The Wizard of Oz.

Stage School has several new leaders, including Rosie, Ashley and Grant.

The Wizard of Oz should be ready to perform for an audience in November.

The school is also rehearsing Oliver, to be presented to an audience in July.

When I visited Stage School, drama teacher Rita McCormick explained that the players begin with a warming up exercise called "Wink Murder".

I visited Stage School again, on May 7, to enquire about the results of the auditions.

At a meeting, lists were handed out and names announced indicating who would be playing which part.

Dorothy will be played by Kirsty Harrison, the scarecrow by Ryan Messer, the lion by Tom Kidgell and the wizard by Conor Laville.

The director, Colin Flaherty, hoped some of the players would enjoy different parts from those they asked for.

After the meeting, players were divided into small groups - five senior groups and three junior groups.

Talking to group leaders, I learned that seniors would study movement and characterisation.

A junior group I observed listened to a story and demonstrated this in action.

After practising, groups presented scenes on stage.

There was competition between the groups, and the winning senior team played a scene in a restaurant.

People at different tables quarrelled, yelled and scattered plates around.

The winning junior team presented a scene on a train.

In a railway carriage, one person opened a window, but others immediately closed it.