TALENTED youngsters from South East Cornwall are set to burst onto stage this summer with a new production of the musical Bugsy Malone.

And as the cast of around 50 young people prepared for performances at the Sterts Theatre this weekend, they were sent a message of good luck by Sir Alan Parker, director of the original 1976 hit musical.

Based in 1920s New York, Bugsy Malone tells the story of the ‘gangsters, dancing girls, Hollywood dreamers and penniless heroes’ who call the city home. The show is unique in that Parker wrote it specifically for children to play all the roles.

Inspired by the real-life characters Al Capone and Bugs Moran, Bugsy is well known for its slapstick com- edy and splurge guns but as well as high energy, the show has moments of great pathos, says musical director Kate Rogers.

Kate joins director Nic Early and choreographer Gemma Nicholson in bringing the Sterts Summer pro- duction together.

Bugsy Malone will be at Sterts on Monday, July 31, August 3, 23, 26 and 28, and September 2.

There are lots more pictures from the show in this week’s print edition of the Cornish Times, on sale now.