it was back to school for Chepstow’s Chaos Music and Drama Society last weekend (May 25 to 27) with a production based on an old favourite.

The music and theatre group presented the stage version of Disney’s popular High School Musical films, a retelling of the classic 1970s film Grease, at the town’s Drill Hall.

Following the Grease plot, it sees in which a boy and girl meet on holiday.

In this production, the boy is a basketball captain and the girl is academic and, as in the original ’70s storyline, she arrives at his school without either of them realising the other would be there.

Keith Weight, chair of the society, said: “The heart of the story is whether the main characters, Troy Bolton, played by Carl Fielding, and Gabriella Montez, played by Hazel Guppy, should concentrate on their academic or sporting interests or pursue their new found love of singing.

“We find out whether they have to make a choice or whether, in the end, they discover that they can do both. Our other principal charcters in this production were played by Rhianna Thomas, who played the part of Sharpay Evans, Ethan Thomas, who was Ryan Evans, Clare Smith, as Chad Danforth and Maxine Stow, who played Taylor McKessie.”

Chaos members have been working on the show since January and it involves the whole society, either on stage or helping behind the scenes with lighting and stage production.

“With this wonderful show Chaos have kept up the tradition that they have had for more than 100 years of presenting top quality musicals to the Chepstow public,” Keith added.

“With the hard work of director/ choreographer Natasha Richards, musical director Mo Fielding, lighting, sound and sets by Kevin Allen, costumes by Beth Blanchard and the many friends and family of the society, Chaos have brought a touch of Disney magic to Chepstow. We have about 40 members ranging in age from eight years old to about 60 and we meet in Bulwark twice a week for rehearsals.

“We presented four shows in total over the three days, with a matinee and an evening production on Saturday.

“I’ve been involved with Chaos for about 30 years now. It began life about 110 years ago as Chepstow Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society and members used to meet in a hall in town that has since been demolished.

“In the 1970s we moved to the new leisure centre in the town and in the 1990s we moved down to the Drill Hall.

“Now we rehearse at Bulwark Community Centre on a Monday and Friday night. We start work, on June 1, on our next production for September. It’s a revue type show with songs from a number of different musicals. After that we’ll be straight into our Christmas pantomime, but I can’t reveal what that will be

just yet.”

Keith says that Chaos Music and Drama Society is always open to new members.

“We have a group of young people aged between eight and about 16 and then a group for adults too. We’re looking for more adults to join us in particular,” he said.

“But everyone is welcome. We rehearse from 7pm to 9pm on a Monday and Friday evening.

“Anyone who is interested in joining us is welcome to just turn up on June 11 and introduce themselves to find out more about what we do.”

To find out more about the group, visit Facebook/thechaosmadgroup