GANGSTERS took over Hardenhuish School, for three sell-out performances of the musical Bugsy Malone.

The cast and band, made up of pupils from Year 8 to Year 12, had been rehearsing for the production since September and their hard work and talent paid off.

Set in New York City in 1929, Bugsy Malone is a classic gangster spoof, substituting ’splurge’ guns and foam for machine guns and bullets. It tells the story of the rise of Bugsy Malone and the battle for power between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan.

The show was a seamless coming together across artistic disciplines at Hardenhuish, transforming the space and evoking the bright lights, sounds and mood of 1920s New York city.

School governor Dr Lisa Titcomb, said: “Yet again, Hardenhuish School has delivered an outstanding musical! The acting and singing by all performers was first class, as was the wonderful orchestra that accompanied them. They played to a packed house on all three nights – a testament to the quality that the audience has come to expect."