DESPITE a number of last-minute setbacks, the performance of a hit musical by year sixes at a Nympsfield school was a huge success.

For several weeks the pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School had been working hard towards putting on a performance of Cats for parents to mark the end of their time at primary school.

Helped by Minchinhampton-based Dazzle Workshops’ Sarah Davis-Berry, the pupils wowed the crowds with their dancing and singing in an abridged version of the West End hit.

Although preparation on performance day was hit by electrical problems and a swarm of bees, Ms Davis-Berry, who has been working with the school for three years, said that the children were “fantastic”.

“We had a few hitches on the day, but despite that the final performance was fantastic,” she said.

“There are always tonnes of good singers at St Joseph’s because they make it such an important part of what they do at the school.

“Although it’s not necessarily the sort of thing all the pupils would choose to do, they were all brilliant and put on a great performance.”

Putting together the performance provided a number of challenges, not least fitting in rehearsals amongst the pupils’ busy schedules and the year group’s high proportion of boys compared to girls.