MUMS and dads poured into the city’s top venue to witness hundreds of schoolchildren dancing and singing their hearts out.

The Theatre Royal was packed to capacity as pupils from Brighton College, Brighton College Prep, St Christopher’s School, Hove, and Handcross Park School in Haywards Heath laid on a fabulous showcase of music, drama and dance.

Dancers kick started the evening with Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods number, an ensemble featuring 33 performers in a spellbinding piece of story-telling.

Former Brighton College pupil Molly Mackendrick returned to perform her exquisite Dance World Cup gold medal-winning routine to Lay Me Down with Joe Cappai, which brought the house down.

There was hardly a dry eye in the house, however, when the Prep Schools’ Choir sung Sweet Charity’s Rhythm of Life and Duke Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing.

Not to be outdone, the College Swing Band were on fine form with confident solos.

Lotte Pearl and Jade Harvey set the evening alight with their rendition of Let’s Get Loud during which the finalists from the College’s Strictly competition last year, judged by BBC Strictly’s Katie Derham, performed a sizzling Cha Cha Cha.

The drama department also showcased their innovative interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the evening was brought to a dramatic conclusion with a dynamic dance number from the Boys Performance Exhibition group.

Oscar Harris, who performed in the Shakespeare classic, said: “I love the feeling of the whole group working together, creating ideas, going to all the rehearsals, perfecting the script and then producing an incredible finished product at the end that we can all be proud of!”

The finale to a glittering evening of arts came with There’s No Business Like Show Business led by Dixie McDevitt.