Casting off the Anglo-Saxon baggage that went with her married name, Fox, Rose Marian Finn has re-emerged in all the Irish glory of her maiden name to bring a very special touch of magic to the Whitehaven Theatre of Youth's production of "The Wizard of Oz." To find magic, like the pot of gold over the Rainbow, you do not need to look further than the the natural skills and creativity of their young cast, recognised and respected in Rose Marian's direction, the inspired choreography of Judith Henderson, the musical direction of Pauline Robertson and Maria Morton and the musical arrangement of John Marcangelo.
Many of the children had with the rhythms of Marcangelo's sensational 'Clog Dance' still tapping in their feet and this experience, together with the discipline they have gained from being trained by Rose Marian and other members of the company for the Whitehaven Musical and Drama Festival, has given them belief in their own ability and the ability of fellow members of the cast. Their singing and dancing was an expression of the free spirit inside each of them. Holly Foley seemed to step naturally into the shoes once worn by Judy Garland, supported by Andrew Flynn, the Scarecrow with the intelligence to aspire to a brain, and James Last as the Tin Man with the sensitivity to long for a heart, but the sensational find of the show was Tim Butler's performance as Lion, finding courage even in the depths of his despair at his own cowardice. Tim moved, sang and acted with complete conviction and projected himself into the hearts of the audience with an inspired sense of pathos in comedy.
All of the members of the cast deserve special praise, if only we had the space, but we have to mention Cieron Simpson's completely natural performance as the Private who finds the rock of his self respect when he is pushed too far by all those generals and officers, Louise Morton who gives the General she plays a miraculous lightness of foot when she dances tap, Sophie Warren and Whitney Hawkins for the contrast of light and darkness as the Socreress of the North and the Wicked Witch, Zoe Warren, who skilfully doubled Uncle Henry and woman of Oz who beats up that poor Lion, and Emma Dockeray, who danced and sang with astonishing grace as Gloria and will surely be the star of another show.
Tony Roberts, who modestly acknowledges doing a little bit of everything, certainly has a happy knack of getting mixed up with some inspired productions.

"How am I going to get inside this character?" asks Rose Marion Finn, shuddering at the mentality of Nurse Ratched, the part she is to take on in Rosehill Players’ production of "One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest". It would be difficult to imagine a part that could be temperamentally more alien to her, with her amazing record of liberating the imagination of the young people she has directed in productions like "The Wizard of Oz" - see page 12. In Ratched she has to imagine a mentality that cannot bear to allow the mentally ill patients in her charge any escape from absolute dependence on her will. She is locked in mortal conflict with McMurphy, played by Roger Wilson, who brings anarchy and with it the hope of liberation into her hospital.
The play is directed by David Simpson, who also directed Operatics’ unforgettable production of "The Hired Man" and will be performed at Rosehill Theatre from Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th May.