This wonderfully well known and much loved show was the opener to another fantastic season at Milton Keynes Theatre. It brought smiles and lots of children flocking in to see the performance – and what a performance!

I can’t believe that everyone hasn’t heard of this musical as it has been a Christmas TV film favourite for many years. The story is of an orphan, Annie, who believes and hopes that one day her parents that left her with only a note and half a silver locket would return and claim her as “their baby”.

Lydia Tunstall in the lead role; did a splendid job for a talent so young; her shrill tone was all part and parcel of the central character's New York diamond in the rough delivery. She dealt with early minor microphone hiccups like a true professional.

The biggest blast on stage however, was Su Pollard in the role of cruel, drunken orphanage proprietor Miss Hannigan. She hilariously played her part to perfection while still gaining respect from the audience by belting out some memorable numbers that showcased her voice.

There was a great performance from David McAlister as Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire who rescues our heroine from poverty and tries to track down her estranged parents. Having seen him in more conventional straight laced TV roles, watching him take on an all-singing all-dancing part was an eye-opener, but he pulled it off really well.

The staging is big – the sets, costumes and lighting are good, though the sound quality on the night sometimes fluctuated, which was disappointing.

Saying that, neither the children nor the adults seemed to care too much - all it took was the appearance of Annie dressed in the iconic short red dress and tightly curled red hair to make the audience cheer with happiness.

The cast is huge, far too many to mention – but little orphan Molly (Ellie Turner) was brilliant and she stole my heart!

A great evenings entertainment for the whole family is hard to find – don’t miss this opportunity to come away smiling.