COLLEGIATE High School's annual show, Dream Date, got off to a lively start on April 3 with an enthusiastic cast and a supportive audience.

This cleverly scripted show told the tale of schoolgirl Kathy (Marie Smith) -- an avid reader of Dream Date magazine -- who adamantly refused to fall in with the crowd and act like all the other girls just to get a boyfriend.

Meanwhile, young Casanova Ray Cooper (Daniel Lord), has just started at the magazine as a messenger boy. He reads a letter sent in by Kathy and rings her up to get a date, pretending to be a BT engineer, and then of course boy meets girl...

Although the story is very simple, it was the witty lines and staging of this show that made it special. The scenes playing out the story of Kathy and Ray interweave with scenes showing what is in the pages of the influential Dream Date.

The students used the set well and obviously enjoyed demonstrating their dancing, singing and acting skills. And who could forget the appearances of several teachers in the show, to much whistling and cheer!.

A mention must also go to the band, which played superbly, and the technical crew which made a worthy stab at using several mikes and a complicated lighting system, although it's not unfair to say that enthusiasm outweighed technical ability resulting in some patchy sound.

But that aside, the company overcame first night nerves and forgotten lines to present a colourful and memorable evening's entertainment.