HUNDREDS of youngsters from across south Bucks wowed the crowds this week during a four night extravaganza of dance, drama and music.

Pupils from 42 schools took to the stage at the Wycombe Swan for the bi-annual Energize performance - and 2008's run is being hailed as the most successful yet.

The shows ran from Tuesday to Friday and featured performances from individual schools in the first half and finished with two specially written musicals, The Sea and The Bluebird, which alternated on each night.

The cast for the grand finale was made up of all the pupils, who came both public and private schools, and were aged between six and 15.

Andrew Sykes, chairman of the Energize committee and teacher at Hazlemere C of E school, which performed last night, said the performances had been tiring but worth it.

"It really was fantastic. It just reafirms how worthwhile it is," he added, "What's being a bit tired when so many young people and so many children enjoy themselves so much? It's nothing."

More than 1,000 people turned out to watch last night's final performance and ticket sales were running into the hundreds throughout the week.

Among the crowd on Thursday was High Wycombe mayor Val Razzaq and Wycombe District council chairman John Savage came along to last night's show.

Mr Sykes said: "It was just wonderful. The response from the audience was very good, the response from the teachers was very good and the children were fantastic.

"But some of them were a bit disappointed. My children yesterday said ' can we do it again?'"

Energize will be back in 2010 and the committee will be busy making plans for the next extravaganza in just a few months time.

Mr Sykes added: "We'll have a meeting with teachers some time in the next half term after Easter for feedback from them, and then we will be starting again in September.

"It takes a couple of years to get everything organised and into place."