A LOCAL drama group run by children brought a Scottish twist to The Wizard of Oz last Saturday.

The XTRA Theatre Club performed their version – called ‘The Wizard of What?’ – at Helensburgh Baptist Church.

The young performers, guided by Pastor Neil Allison, were involved in the writing and directing and creating the set, smoke and sound effects.

Mr Allison said: “It was wonderful. It was a creation not by adults for the children, but a conversation between the two to create the show.”

Those involved were aged from nine to 14, and Pastor Allison was impressed with the youngsters’ ability to put their own stamp on the production.

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He said: “We normally take a familiar story and then re-write it so that it’s totally unrecognisable, and the children helped create that.”

Stars of the show were Sarah Peterson as a Braveheart inspired Dorothy, Angus O’Neill as the Scarecrow and The Wizard of What, Sophie Bennie-Twist as the two witches, Ryan Peterson as Tin Man, Claire Wilson as the cowardly lion and Laura Wilson as Toto.

The new session on learning the ‘Performance Craft,’ which will involve more fun drama activities, begins on March 13 and runs from 2-3.30pm. The group is open to children aged from 8-16 and anyone who fancies trying out a bit of acting is welcome.

Find out more through the church’s Facebook page or at hbchurch.co.uk.

Photos by Mark Neal