OVER the years The Mail regularly reported on the productions staged by Ulverston youth theatre group ACT.

In May 1992, under the headline, ‘A hard ACT to follow’, The Mail featured the group when it staged Smith.

The performances took place at the Coronation Hall, in Ulverston.

‘People who care about the future of amateur dramatics in Ulverston must rub their hands when youth group ACT put on a show,’ reported the newspaper.

It said that having so many youngsters with obvious commitment and potential boded well for the future.

Eleanor Brady as Smith the pickpocket was a natural and gave a delightful performance as the brave, cheeky scamp.

Stella Mossop and Becky Ellwood created a couple of well-thought-out characters as his sisters and Fiona Simpson was charming and touching as Flora, the abandoned sweetheart of Jack Field.

The play, which had been adapted by Liz Loveless, was a good vehicle for ACT, with lots of strong, minor roles for the children to get their teeth into.

Richard Swan and Richard Kitchin got the loudest applause during the show, because they played their scene so well.

In June 1995, Barrow’s Forum 28 was turned into the mythical world of Middle Earth as children from ACT youth theatre of Ulverston presented their version of the JRR Tolkien classic The Hobbit.

Adapted from the book by group leader Liz Loveless and with songs by her 17-year-old son Alex, the tale of the reluctant hero Bilbo Baggins (played by Matthew Sanders) was staged over four nights.

Chris Loveless as Thorin Oakenshield led his band of dwarves on the quest for stolen gold with the help of Baggins and the encouragement of Gandalf, the Wizard (Jenny Kane).

Trolls (Stephen Wharton, Stephen Armstrong and Andrew Mitchell), goblins and werewolves conspired to thwart the dwarves and a subterranean creature called Gollum (Iain Harrison) had to be foiled.

In 1992 Act performed A Christmas Carol and in 1996 they staged Annie.