Norfolk pupils are helping bring back a lost gem of musical theatre to amateur groups around the country.Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have teamed up with the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) and Lord Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Group, to give local actors a rare chance to stage one of their first works The Likes of Us.

Norfolk pupils are helping bring back a lost gem of musical theatre to amateur groups around the country.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have teamed up with the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) and Lord Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Group, to give local actors a rare chance to stage one of their first works The Likes of Us.

It was the first show the world-renowned duo wrote together and Dereham is top of the bidding list to be one of the first places in the country for it to be performed.

As part of the publicity for the play, local amateur dramatic groups are contributing clips of them performing the play to be put together on a trailer advertising the musical.

On Sunday, 27 children aged between seven to 18, from the Dereham area, all acted out scenes at the Victorian School in Great Cressingham.

Zelda Rolfe, a youth adviser for NODA, said: “We were there all day and it was a hard day. It was raining in the morning so we couldn't film outside.

“All the children were in the schoolroom, which is a very small space to film. It was a great learning experience for them.

“It's different to coming on stage, performing and then leaving. They'll be filming, then stopping, then filming again. It's very tiring. They did very well.”

The film footage will now be sent to London to be considered for use in the promotional material, and the BBC may also show the film on the big screen in Norwich.