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On Song: Extravaganzers Bill Wollerman, pianist, Bill Sheat, Deirdre Tarrant and Bobbi Gibbons warm up their vocal cords in preparation for a Victoria University Extravaganza reunion concert to be staged on July 17.

The four songsters were among about 20 former students who showed up at Tarrant's dance studio in Wellington for the concert's first performance last night.

University alumni relations manager Sharon Major said the extravaganzas were the forerunners to the capping revues of today, though the people involved were adamant they had been wittier and more popular than those of today.

However, a glance through some of the programmes from the 1950s and 1960s showed that things had not changed much over the decades, with past shows generally concentrating on taking the mickey out of the "gummint" and commenting on the quirks of contemporary society.

The show is being written by playwright Roger Hall.