War always makes a gutsy backdrop for a play, film, book or, in this case, a musical.

There was a lot packed into this production, premiered at the Gardner Arts Centre by the Starlite Theatre company.

It had passion, comedy, nostalgia, romance and good, old-fashioned, British fighting spirit mixed in with the class system.

Written by three successful writers and composers with Sussex connections, Darren Vallier, Richard Lindfield and Rob Sweetman, this show has the potential to go further and become an established musical.

With a bit of tightening up and a more sophisticated set, it could even become a West End hit.

The idea was excellent, the plot was easy to follow and songs, such as This Is The Land, These Are The Hands, although a bit cheesy, were good musical numbers.

The chorus had a wide selection of voice range, giving a full-bodied sound. The enthusiastic cast gave it all they had and the result was a thoroughly entertaining four-night run.

A lot has been written about children being taken from London and other cities to the safety of the countryside during the Second World War.

This is the first major musical to have been written about evacuees and, for the most part, it worked.

We had the tearful goodbyes as the kids left London for South Yorkshire, the shock of their new surroundings and clashes of personalities.

The large cast, costumed in the appropriate styles of wartime Britain, made the best use of the spacious stage.

The set was a bit sparse but the selection of the black-and-white photographs projected on to the back of the stage really captured the early Forties.

Two young stars in the making, Jamie Muscato as Billy Gander and Lucie Griffiths as his sister Evie, both showed maturity beyond their ages.

William Murray provided the comedy with a cheeky performance as their uncle Ted Duval and Neil Smith was confident as the unconfident Peter Kesselmen, who found himself as a Jewish misfit in the South Yorkshire village.

Writer and director Richard Lindfield also appeared on stage as Jack Earnshaw, a solid country dweller, giving a professional performance.

Kate Stoner as her ladyship and Emma Sayers as her lady-in-waiting were both delightfully unpleasant as their parts demanded.

It was good to see a locally-created show with such a talented cast of Sussex performers working well together, delighting audiences and obviously enjoying themselves.