Amateur Dramatics

The musical is billed as the sound of Queen blended with the wit of Ben Elton. However, rather than going back in time and having Blackadder singing Bohemian Rhapsody, it's set 300 years in the future where musical instruments are banned and everyone listens to the same downloaded music.

Young rebels heroes Galileo and Scaramouche take on the all-powerful Globalsoft Corporation which controls people's lives. It uses 32 of Queen's songs to illustrate the tale. BBC Suffolk is supporting both shows. The Co-op Juniors version has been at the Ipswich Corn Exchange, but you can still catch the Summer Youth Project version at the Felixstowe Spa Pavilion (Weds 15 - Sat 18 August).

Dinosaur juniors

Despite being written off by punks in the late 1970s as irrelevant and due for extinction, Queen's popularity seems to have turned full circle again and today's youngsters are familiar with the songs.

WWRY in the West End

The shows are licensed by "Schools Will Rock You" which enables amateur companies to stage either the West End adult version or a schools version which cuts out the rude words or references to drugs and sex. The Co-op Juniors are doing the adult version and the company says if it were a film it would be 12 or PG.

The show has now been seen by 5 million people worldwide and the Co-op Juniors' co-director Pauline Walker says there's a real buzz: "We're promising high octane entertainment, spectacular staging, classic rock and a great fun evening. We're extending the Corn Exchange stage and adding a full rock show lighting and sound rig, so it's an ambitious production."

The Ipswich show also features a real Harley Davidson, although they won't be able to start it on stage, so we'll hear sound effects rather than genuine hog noises.

The Co-op Juniors' co-director Jeannie Ingram says they're not competiting with Felixstowe: "Ours is two months earlier and they're two distinct versions. The Felixstowe one is a drama project - which is a great idea - whereas ours will have four months of work going into rehearsals and production."

Under pressure?

Felixstowe's Spa Pavilion is running its We Will Rock You as a Summer Youth Project where 9-25 year olds will spend just two weeks getting the show together from scratch. This production will be the 'schools' version of the script. 

The Spa's Bridget Rutherford says most youngsters have heard their parents' Queen collections: "99.9% know the songs already. It's not a case of whether it's cool or not these days!

"We're an entirely different set-up to the Co-op Juniors. We have our loyal audience and we're not worried that it could be competition. We've cast the show, there will be a couple of read-through workshops and then the project begins in earnest on 5 August with the shows a fortnight later.

"It's extremely hard work. It's our 5th summer production and follows Annie, Fame, Barnum and Oliver! The cast and crew have always done amazingly well."

And who knows - Brian May could pop along to the shows and use the opportunity to take his Sky At Night telescope to Rendlesham Forest to go UFO-spotting. It's just a thought.

The Felixstowe Spa box office is 01394 282126. Visit both the Ipswich Arts & Entertainments website and the Felixstowe Spa website by using the links on the right.