15/06/2026
"A Million Dreams"
Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham
Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars)
A Million Dreams is a culmination of hard-work, determination, and passion of Midlands Academy of Dance & Drama students, and I was honoured to be invited along to see their end-of-year production. As they performed an inspirational collection of musical theatre song and dance, I admired the charismatic, energetic and extremely talented group.
With the lighting designed by the Squire Performing Arts Centre, I had a good clear view of all of the cast throughout the entire show, and I soon noticed that the costumes designed by The Company were all very much hitting the mark in terms of the theme for each song that was performed.
Collectively, their voices were phenomenal, and vocal captains Tegan King and Bree Hubbard did a fantastic job of helping them sound powerful and astonishingly beautiful, especially as their harmonies ring through the theatre.
The performance of Freak Flag by 3rd years Tilly Bull, Megan Blake, Leila Williams, Indie Eliza and Tegan King was fun, and very comedic. The costumes played a huge part in each character being distinguishable, making it clear who exactly they were meant to be portraying and as they adapted their voices for each role they played, it really brought the characters of Shrek to life.
Eva Robinson performed When Will My Life Begin from Tangled and sounded very similar to the original song, which I found extremely impressive. Grace Jackson also performed In My Dreams from Anastasia, and had a brilliant way of expressing emotion while singing with a voice that is versatile and has magnificent range.
The Choreographers Stewart Avon-Arnold, Hannah Fox, Luke Haywood, Mark Hedges and Frankie Steele really pulled out all of the stops during Buenos Aires and created a fun and entertaining dance routine. Dance Captains Megan Blake, Jessica Lily-May, Darci Gowling, Maisie Hepworth, Esme Watts and Daisy Billam assisted with this creativity further and allowed a buzz to hum throughout the theatre which could only leave the audience engaged and mesmerized with every song that is performed throughout the night.
In the rendition of Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat from Guys and Dolls, Jamal Moyo played the role of a brilliantly charismatic character who left you in awe of the entertainment they provided and left behind a foot tapping and jazzy atmosphere in their wake. Jamal also performed in Pop and once again brought that comedic and humorous presence to the stage and showed true passion and talent with every role they played.
As Somewhere from West Side Story began, there was a special guest appearance from Stewart Avon-Arnold, who danced with beauty and grace alongside Tilly Bull. This was unfortunately interrupted by someone coughing into the mic at one point, which slightly took away from the dancers’ fabulous performance. There were a few issues with the sound during both acts where interference interrupted singers or sound would drop in and out as narrators were speaking, this made it hard to hear what had been said and sung. This was a recurring problem throughout but probably the only downside to the whole show.
I was consistently wowed by Megan Blake’s vocals and their range, as well as Lottie Parons, who always displayed passion and how much they truly cared about their performance. Grace Jackson and Jasmine Hutchings were a spectacular duo for I Dreamed a Dream/On My Own, their vocals working perfectly together. Toby Farley, Jasmine Hutchings, and Eliza Szejda, as well as the dancers for I Want It All, created a party-like atmosphere which was energetic and mesmerizing. The acrobatics were particularly impressive and earned lots of cheers from me and the rest of the audience. Jessica Roxas displayed strong vocals and the ability to stir up emotion during her performance and Daisy Billam sang beautifully as well. The Sparkling Diamond, performed by Grace Jackson, Leila Williams and Megan Blake, with a select few students from all courses, was a remarkable display of talent to witness, absolutely stunning me from beginning to end.
Overall, A Million Dreams, created and devised by Kevin Towse and directed by Mark Hedges, was a phenomenal show and I am beyond happy that I could be a part of the audience. The performers left the stage in style after every song, allowing the show to flow naturally, and the entire cast worked brilliantly together. There was no sign of any exhaustion and they maintained their energy fantastically throughout.
Musical Director Kevin Towse and Musical Director for the BTEC Performing Arts Course, Hannah Oseman, had selected a wonderful range of musicals which created an emotional and inspirational atmosphere and I’m sure the rest of the audience would have felt that too. Tied into the performance was a graduation ceremony for some of the students who will be moving on from MADD, it was lovely to see them celebrate their hard work and I felt proud of them for all they had achieved. The entire cast and creative team should be incredibly proud of themselves too and I’m certain there is a bright future ahead for every single person involved in this production. For the students, I wish you all the best for your future careers.
You can catch "A Million Dreams" at Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham until Sunday 14th June 2026.
Written By: Sophie Anna
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