And what a production it was, full of real verve, enthusiasm and confidence. The striking achievement of the drama/music faculty and its students at BCS, and the broad community that so vigorously supports them, is the overall spirit and commonality of purpose that was so clearly revealed in every detail of their work, from set and costume design, to the large number of students taking part, to the quality of the choreography, lighting and sound. The singing and particularly the character acting often had real flair, even flamboyance – Izzy Vella made a truly terrifying Witch of the East, Isobel Merriman a deeply menacing Wicked Witch of the West, Lily Munnings a serene Glinda the Good Witch, Rah Karaitiana a deftly morose Tin Man, Drew Tisdale a marvellously timid Lion, Romney Smith a naturally comedic Scarecrow, Keaka Dennis a commandingly verbose Wizard, and Georgina Campbell a captivatingly innocent Dorothy.

And how topical is the simple parable at the heart of The Wizard of Oz, that pretension and puffery are everywhere. At least here, in the world of this musical, our three simple and honest heroes break through the false pretences of the Wizard and become fully human. A production like this, which offers an experience that both augments and goes beyond academic achievement, helps develop the young people of our town in a similarly humanising way.

Special mention must also be made of the tireless work of the director, drama teacher Elisa Bryant, and also the other staff who assisted closely in the production: Katherine Firman, Trish Sargeson and Ross Waples. Thank you Braidwood Central for a wonderful telling of this story, and thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make it happen.