The Alley is alive with ‘The Sound of Music’!

An award-winning performing arts academy is taking to the stage at the Alley Theatre next week with a production of the classic ‘The Sound of Music’, their first musical since ‘Hairspray’.

The members of Encore will perform the much-loved musical, which memorably spawned a hit film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, at the Strabane venue from April 19 to 22.

It will mark ten years since Encore first staged the classic show.

Artistic director Rebecca Thompson said she was “thrilled” to be at the helm of this much-anticipated musical offering.

She said, “The cast have been working incredibly hard since January and, although rehearsals have been busy, everyone has stepped up to the mark and brought their amazing talent and passion to their roles.

“We always aim to cast age appropriately and so we are incredibly lucky to have been able to cast our von Trapp children from our current musical theatre students from both Strabane and Letterkenny.

“Our adult leads consist of past students of Encore and parents of current students. We will be welcoming back members who have long-standing relationships with Encore alongside a few new faces who were up for the challenge – and the craic.”

Encore recently returned to the stage following Covid closures, with their mesmerising production of ‘Matilda Jr the Musical’, which starred all their musical theatre students.

Looking to the future, Encore will be showcasing ‘Nativity – The Musical’ in December and ‘Oliver!’ in April 2024. The group will also be staging their first-ever play, ‘The Ferryman’, in early 2024.

But for now, focus is solely on ‘The Sound of Music’. Rebecca is confident the show, with classic sings such as ‘Do Re Mi’, ‘Edelweiss’ and ‘So Long Farewell’, will bring back memories for those familiar with the show and also awaken a love for it from newcomers.

Tickets can be purchased via The Alley Theatre Website www.alley-theatre.com or by contacting the box office on 028 71384444.