ITV's Britain's Got Talent has put variety back in the limelight.

And this is good news for Swindon's own variety maestros, The Cast Of Stage Struck, who will be presenting Allsorts and Dolly Mixture, at the Arts Centre next week.

The 24-strong cast are under the guiding hands of directors Michelle MacClay and Grace Matthews, two stalwarts of Stage Struck for more than 25 years.

Michelle said: "Variety is still going strong and things like Britain's Got Talent are good at promoting this.''

Hannah Western is the choreographer, putting the dancers through their paces in a show that has a mix of music from country to glam rock, from swing to Elvis Presley's rock 'n' roll.

Grace said: "We call it our pic-n-mix. The costumes are great fun for everyone. In the Glam Rock section we have really gone for the feel of the 70s with lots of shiny trousers, tartan and some feather boas. We think our Elvis is something else, made by a group of ladies (our sewing bee) pretty amazing and not what our audience will be expecting.''

The cast have been rehearsing since the middle of last year with a short break to prepare for a sell-out Christmas concert. They have faced a number of challenges alongside having a great deal of fun. Comedy actor and singer Ken Jell, a veteran of Swindon amateur theatricals, has a central role in the show but upset the apple-cart when he discovered that on the Saturday evening he had a prior engagement.

Michelle said: "We had to re-write parts and re-set moves and cover his solo section. An old friend kindly agreed to come along and sing for us. We kept his name under wraps as a surprise and then Ken’s engagement was cancelled! So now our Saturday audience will not only get our surprise guest, but Ken too!''

Michelle's daughter Caitlin will be performing in the show, she won the Swindon Rotary Young Musician of the Year for 2017. Grace's sister Helen and niece Marie will also be treading the boards at the Old Town theatre in Devizes Road.

Tickets for the show which starts at 7.30pm nightly are £11 and £9 concessions from 01793 524481 or www.swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison