The boys - and girls - are back in town to present the annual feast of song, music and dance.o The Oxford Gang show, sponsored by the Oxford Mail, officially opened on yesterday at the New Theatre and the scouts, guides and their adult helpers are wowing the young, and young at heart, with catchy numbers and comedy sketches.

For several years the show moved with the times, but this brought a mixed reaction from audiences.

However, director Kim Griffiths decided it was time to strike a balance between the modern content and those memorable Gang Show offerings from the past.

The good news is this new mix works well and is much appreciated by all ages.

And the junior and senior members presented what I consider some of the best Gang Show musical routines ever seen on the Oxford stage.

In two hours, the gang packed in 14 routines involving some 190 members.

I particularly liked Love, a tribute to the Beatles, Cops and Robbers and Whistle Stop Tour, where we were taken on an journey around America with songs such as New York, New York and Midnight Train to Georgia.

But it was the Joyful, Joyful routine, which brought the audience alive.

Featuring the gospel song from the film Sister Act, the routine saw 90 people on stage at the same time.

Some of the cast even ventured into the stalls and circle to make sure the audience felt very much part of this show.

In the finale, the show's new musical director, Claire Penny, joined forces with director Kim Griffiths to sing I Believe.

The comedy sketches were superbly scripted, produced and performed.

These included Flanders and Swann's The Gas Man Cometh, Allan Sherman's Camp Granada, On My Knee, If I were not upon the stage and Lillies, written by Gang Show veteran John Kirby who also performed as Lilly Marlene for this humorous tale.

But the Gang Show is not just about what you see on the stage.

Every year it encourages more young people to learn new skills and realise dreams they never thought were possible.

It is that commitment that ensures the Gang Show will always be Riding along on a Crest of a Wave.

The Oxford Gang Show continues nightly until Saturday when there will also be a matinee performance.

The Oxford Mail is publishing a special supplement on Thursday packed with photographs from the show, cast lists and information about all the acts and producers. Readers will also be able to take a behind-the-scenes peak, and watch interviews with producers and performers on video at www.oxfordmail.co.uk Tickets for the show are still available, priced between £4 and £10, from the box office on 0844 8471585 or online at www.oxfordgangshow.org