SU Pollard, star of Annie, was full of praise for local youngsters who joined her on stage at Malvern Theatres last week.

Nine pupils from Stagecoach Theatre Arts in Malvern and Ledbury took the roles of orphans in the rags-to-riches musical, performing on stage alongside Su and a cast of well-known names from the world of stage and television.

Su played Miss Hannigan in the show, which stopped off in Malvern for a five-night run.

Stagecoach principal Jo McFarlane said: "Su told them they were some of the best orphans on the tour. She was wonderful with the girls and they were thrilled to bits to be in the show.

"It was a brilliant experience for us. Our pupils rehearsed with a professional choreographer and were involved in several dance routines as well as singing and speaking roles."

The pupils who took part in the show were Charlotte Westley, Charlotte Davey, Chloe Darrell, Freya Lawrence, Natasha Snee, Laura Lomax, Becky Murphy, Hope Fellows and Grace Barber.

Stagecoach meets in Malvern and Ledbury every Saturday during term time. For more details, call 01452 712966.