IAN CLARKE Three hours before the first-night curtain went up, Harry Potter movie star Chris Rankin was seen by hundreds of thousands of youngsters on the national Newsround programme.

IAN CLARKE

Three hours before the first-night curtain went up, Chris Rankin was seen by hundreds of thousands of youngsters on the national Newsround programme.

Two hours later he was on the BBC regional Look East news magazine.

And 10 hours after the curtain came down, the teenager had to be on the set for the latest Harry Potter filming session.

With that amazing attention, it would be easy to concentrate on Chris's performance – and an extremely good one it was too as Ugly in the excellent adaptation of the classic tale of the ugly duckling.

But the national – and indeed international – publicity that Dereham is getting through Chris has a huge amount to do with the talent and commitment shown by all at Dereham Operatic Society Youth Theatre.

The superb opening night was down to the performances of every member of the cast and those behind the scenes.

Ida (Hannah Rolfe), Grace (Phillipa Everett), Greylag (Greig Rawlings), Lowbutt (Ellen Walker), Cat (Chris Carroll), Barnacles (Sam Mitchell-Finnigan) and Queenie (Emma Gall) all deserve special mention.

I also have to give massive credit to Luke Woods who took the audience by storm with a marvellous display as the bullfrog.

The 15-year-old had also designed the lighting for the show.

Honk! continues at Dereham Memorial Hall on Friday and Saturday, April 5-6, at 7.30pm. There is also a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday. Tickets are available from the box office at Sounds in Nunns Way, Dereham. Call 01362 696995.