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Youth theatre group Elites and sister group New Horizons are returning to the stage for the first time since the pandemic, performing a variety show at Bedwas Workmen’s Hall.

Elites is a singing and dancing group made up of performers aged between six and 20. Before the pandemic, the group regularly entered competitions around the United Kingdom before Covid hit.

In 2019, Elites became the first Welsh competitors to take the Overall Champions title at the International Variety Showdown in Ireland.

The group, which practises at Bedwas Workmen’s Hall, was looking to retain its title in 2020 – but the pandemic forced the competition to be cancelled.

Volunteer Zoe Grist, whose daughter is a member of the group, told Caerphilly Observer: “We felt heartbroken and defeated when we found out we couldn’t compete. We tried to move our training online but it didn’t work.

“After everything that happened and two years off from competing, we decided to step away from competition and focus on getting people back up on stage.”

With that in mind, the group of around 50 members will attempt to transform the workmen’s hall into a “state of the art” theatre, according to Zoe, for a two hour long variety performance on Friday July 1 and Saturday July 2.

“Preparations are going well.” Said Zoe. “We’re in contact with sponsors and professionals to get top quality lighting and staging set up.

“It isn’t cheap; we’ve currently got a GoFundMe page running as well as using ticket sales to make the show special.” She added.

Doors open at 7pm on July 1and 4.30pm on July 2. Tickets can be bought online through Ticket Source.