IN 2016, Cradley Village Players celebrated Shakespeare’s special birthday with an evening of poetry and prose. They begin 2017 with something bigger and brasher.

For its first production of the year is The Wizard of Oz - a colourful stage adaptation of the fabulous MGM musical film, complete with the famous songs - Over the Rainbow, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, Follow the Yellow Brick Road and many more - and characters.

Jude Sanderson joins the Players from Malvern Theatre Players to play Dorothy, while Bill Chadney is the Scarecrow, Russ Shalofsky the Tin Man and Cress Dunnett the Cowardly Lion.

David Creed-Newton is the Wizard and Judi Creed-Newton the Wicked Witch of the West. Sandra Dudley is the Good Witch, Poppy Stanley plays Aunt Em and Tom van Vuren takes on roles as the General and the Coroner.

Among Cradley Village Players’ younger members, Lucy Eastham is the Munchkin Mayor, Adam Dudley plays both the Munchkin Farmer and Tibia the witch’s sidekick, while Ellie Henry, Emma Dudley and Vicki Merker are witches, ghosts and Jitterbugs.

Wynne Harries provides the musical accompaniment for what promises to be a treat for the whole family - young and old. And while he and the cast fine tune their words, the technical team are finalising a sound, lighting and scenic extravaganza.

Directed by Meg Monk, who was responsible for the company’s hugely successful Christmas Carol, The Wizard of Oz is at Cradley Primary School from Wednesday to Saturday, April 19 to 22, at 7.30 pm.

Tickets cost £8 (£5 15 and under) and are available from the Butchery, Cradley, from cradleyvillageplayers.com or on the door.