A STANDING ovation marked the final performance of the 58th Oxford Gang Show at the weekend.

A packed audience filled the New Theatre in George Street to see the all-singing, all-dancing two-and-a-half-hour spectacular’s last performance on Saturday.

For more than six months, 250 Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Brownies from across Oxfordshire had been perfecting their act. The show, which opened on Tuesday, featured 14 acts by the junior and senior gangs, including a tribute to the founder of Gang Shows, Ralph Reader.

After worries about slow ticket sales, the show exceeded expectations with numbers only slightly down on last year’s record. More than 5,000 tickets were sold during the week, with a total of 2,200 for Saturdays shows.

Director Kim Griffiths said: “It went really well. The finale had an exceptional audience who gave us a standing ovation at the end. Everyone was touched, with lots of people in tears. People seemed really impressed with the show.”

Ms Griffiths, 47, from Headington, Oxford, added: “Now that it has finished, we will be getting straight on with planning next year’s show.”