Centrestage Productions Youth Theatre, The Point, Eastleigh.

AN evening of songs from the shows has to be carefully thought out with a storyline to coherently link the numbers and justify the musical choice, but from the outset, CPYT's one-night stand struggled to make sense of either its selection or its theme.

True, the company occasionally scaled the heights, particularly with the title song from Rent, and Steam Train from Starlight Express, but too many times ill-chosen soloists struggled with the range of their songs and the chorus lacked both conviction and strong choreography.

It was left to Peter Wozny's near-perfect rendition of Love Changes Everything and the angel-voiced Kimberley Moorhouse's Circle of Life to show what might have been.

Thom Jones and Laura Bunyan (as Judas and Mary Magdalen from Jesus Christ Superstar) amply demonstrated their considerable singing talents.

Numbers from Grease, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever were also showcased, but the evening's lack of overall direction made for a missed opportunity.