YORK and Malton musical societies are forging links to mutual benefit.

Last November, members of Malton & Norton Amateur Operatic Society rallied to a call from Rowntree Musical Theatre by joining the York group for a benefit show. Rowntree performers returned the favour in May when they swelled the Malton ranks for That's Entertainment.

Now, two York singers, tenor Michael Oliver and soprano Marie-Louise Scott, are repeating the exercise by coming on board in Malton for Anything Goes, in rehearsal for staging in October.

In the immortal Cole Porter extravaganza of 1930s' gangsters, molls and high society at sea, Michael will play stowaway Billy Crocker while Marie-Louise takes on gangster's moll Bonnie.

Anything Goes is set on the SS American en route from New York to England. Pickering soprano Gail Nichol plays the incandescent ex-evangelist Reno; Mark Bray, from Malton, will be the gangster Moonface Martin; and Lauren Thackray, from Malton, will take on her first principal role for the society as socialite Hope Harcourt.

On board too will be Allen Hall, Ian Goring, Margaret Lukey, Barry Elener, Scott Garnham, Sarah Clyde, Melissa Huntsman and Rory Queen, as well as dancers from the Kirkham-Henry Centre.

Direction is in the hands of exuberant former performer Lee Hammonds, who stages amateur productions regularly in the Sheffield Lyceum and has directed Anything Goes previously. He is happy to make the 150-mile round trip to Malton every week.

"This is a friendly society," he says. "It is the very crucible of amateur theatre, the place where amateur theatre is born. You tend to forget that in the big cities with big budgets."

Working with him are musical director John Sharpe, from York; and choreographer Angela Kirkham, co-director of the Kirkham-Henry Performing Arts Centre.

Anything Goes will run in the Milton Rooms, Malton, from October 7 to 11.

Updated: 09:30 Friday, August 01, 2003