I found The Bluestocking to be beautifully written in many ways – most outstandingly, the songs, which had truly inventive and inspired rhymes, and tunes that were running through my head all the way home. Most of the characters were believably human while some were delightfully amusing, especially Freddie Upton (Nathan Sames); and this performance brought the script to life with a vibrant, lively cast and orchestra; and an excellent technical team working alongside the highly talented performers and musicians, providing a detailed beautifully constructed set, authentic costumes and aptly atmospheric lighting.

The orchestra's rich, flawless music was central to making this performance a success and the soloists' impressively strong voices did full justice to the creative, intelligent and sometimes uproariously funny lyrics. It was thrilling to see a school performance with such professional standards of singing, especially with so many strong male voices, and the same goes for the highly professional and engaging acting. Indeed it would be wrong to name one performer as ‘promising' or ‘talented' because there was so much talent and flair throughout the cast that no-one was lacking – to the point where often the performance would not have looked out of place on a West End stage!

The Bluestocking is a brand-new musical written by Alex Thomas (Head of Drama at Magdalen College School I am told) and performed by the students of MCS. It is set in 1920: women have got the vote and are allowed to study at Oxford, although they are not awarded degrees. In 1920, however, there is talk of accepting the women’s colleges into the University and awarding degrees to female students – an idea which fills many men with horror. The term ‘bluestocking’ is used as a derogatory term although the Head of the girls’ college encourages ‘her’ girls to embrace it.

Into this maelstrom walks Mary Mason, a young girl from a working class background with her head full of communist ideas, whose brilliance at school has won her a place in one of these colleges. How she manages to survive against the background of snobbery and male chauvinism is the story we are told through the jazz-influenced music of that period.

The musical was inspired by a book of the same name written by Jane Robinson, which tells the stories of the brave women who fought for their right to study and gain degrees.

The cast manage to combine good acting with good singing, not an easy task. Kelechi Hafstad plays and sings the conflicted Mary beautifully, torn between her family and roots and her desire to better herself and help her family that way. Her two admirers, Lord Waverley, played by Barney Shekleton, and Eric Redburn (Callum Morris), are also convincing in their love for her (and Callum is a really convincing communist!) The love duet between Lord Waverley and Mary is very moving. A special mention should go to Ellen Garbutt as Miss Bussle, who manages to avoid making her part a caricature, and to Nathan Sames as Freddie Upton for his sheer bravado and stage presence.

The choruses are just as engaging as the leads, and often highly amusing. The Oxford Blue rowing team and the punting scene stand out particularly, causing much hilarity: in fact the choreography throughout is very slick and professional. The band give great support to the cast; the set and the lighting are managed smoothly and efficiently. If I was going to quibble, I would say that occasionally the band drowns out the singers, especially some of the solo performers, but on the whole the words are clear which is important for this musical. Do get to this performance if you can: it is well worth the effort. And, by the way, for those of you who do not have a child at the school, the entrance is round the back in Cowley Place. Perhaps a sign wouldn’t go amiss, MCS?