HELSTON Theatre Company are in rehearsals for their forthcoming production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock musical, Whistle Down the Wind, having been invited to perform at the Minack Theatre for the first time in their ten year history.

Having won the best musical in Cornwall for the fifth time this year at the Cornwall Drama Association Awards (CDA winning musicals were Avenue Q, RENT, Our House, Sunset Boulevard and Oliver!), Helston Theatre Company are currently riding the crest of the theatre wave.

The finest local talent has been gathered to be involved with their latest epic Andrew Lloyd Webber rock musical, including nearly fifty local children.

Based on the Richard Attenborough film and set in the religious Deep South of America, Whistle Down the Wind tells the story of innocent Swallow and her father, Boone, and her two younger siblings.

They have recently lost their beloved mother and are struggling with grief.

Hiding in their barn is a man that Swallow and the local children believe to be Jesus Christ.

Is he the escaped convict that the local community are desperately hunting down, or is he indeed the Son of God?

The music of Whistle Down the Wind is written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Jim Steinman, known for his Meatloaf career and chart hits Total Eclipse of the Heart, I Would Do Anything for Love and No Matter What (written especially for Whistle Down the Wind and covered by Boyzone).

Helston Theatre Company vice chairman and WDTW director Ben Blaber said: "I have been involved with HTC since its inception, and I’m delighted that the team at the Minack Theatre have chosen our 10-year anniversary to invite us to perform there for the first time. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman’s rousing score will suit both the dark intimacy of the Epworth Hall and the stunning aesthetic of the Minack.

"We have a few surprises up our sleeve from a technical point of view, which we hope will stun and delight our audiences, whether they have been supporting us for ten years or if they have never seen us before."

With a score full of soaring ballads and explosive rock, and a finale that will take audiences’ breath away, Whistle Down the Wind promises drama, sensational music and uplifting emotion in equal measure.

Whistle Down the Wind runs nightly from April 9-13 at the Epworth Hall to include a Saturday matinee. Following its Epworth Hall run, it will play at The Minack Theatre on 20 and 21 at 7.30pm, and April 21 and 22 at 2pm.

For tickets, visit helstontheatrecompany.co.uk.

Tickets for the Epworth Hall performances can also be purchased from Gillian’s Larder in Meneage Street, Helston.