It's a good show, Charlie Brown

Good grief, this was fun. As a fan of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (and sister show Snoopy: The Musical), the Fringe Guide description - 'welcome to hell' etc - had me fearing we were going to get a dark, deconstructionist take on the fun family show.

But no, this was the real deal, well performed and imaginatively staged. Violet Shock's young cast brought energy, enthusiasm and talent to their portrayals of Charles M Schulz' Peanuts gang, nailing the laughs and doing justice to the songs. The direction was a treat, with some great choices and witty innovations in the bunnies sequence.

A special nod to the production staff for the excellent costumes and clever props - this was a real team effort and the effort paid off. If I win the Lotto tonight, I'm throwing a few thousand quid the way of Violet Shock - this great group from Northumberland deserves support!