Dreamboats and Petticoats is a high energy musical, a walk down memory lane for some with plenty of great tunes from the late 50s and early 60s that you can sing along to, coupled with a surprisingly plausible story line. All the music is live and what a treat this is! The story takes place at St Mungo’s Youth Club in 1961, presided over by Bobby’s dad, where table tennis and Tizer is on offer, as well as the chance to make your own music. Anthony Clegg is great as the wise and benevolent leader who even though the younger generation don’t believe it, once had dreams of his own of becoming a pop star.

Josh Capper gives a tremendous performance as Bobby, the awkward and acne prone teenager, full of lust and longing for sexy Sue the saucy redhead who in turn only has eyes for Norman, the anti-hero with the biggest Brylcreemed quiff and attitude problems to match. Jonathan Bremner as Norman does a great job of posturing, preening and delivering a batch of rock songs with earthy confidence and much hip gyration - no wonder he gets all the girls screaming!

Daniella Bowen plays Laura, the blue-stocking school girl, whose first love is music with Bobby as a close second. She has a beautiful voice and carries off the transformation of gawky schoolgirl with plaits and National Health glasses to pretty teenager with ease when she celebrates her sixteenth birthday. All the cast in fact are excellent at making you believe in their youth. Ray, Laura’s brother and Bobby’s best friend, played by Gareth Leighton gets some very good one-liners, and Gareth Leighton is no slouch at belting out a good tune either.

The annual Youth Club outing is the place to be when they visit Southend and there are some colourful scenes including dodgems being driven about the stage, and the much talked of tunnel of love causes romantic ructions. Carolynne Good plays Sue, the seductress, looking just the part in a variety of slinky tight skirts or of course, swirling net petticoats.

The music throughout is terrific, and the "group" that has been put together really jel. There were some great saxophone solos by Bethany Compson-Bradford and Lauren Storer and I particularly enjoyed Poetry in Motion done a cappella with the whole cast.

The show as a whole is pure enjoyment, upbeat and amusing, and at the end as a packed audience rose to its feet to join in with the cast twisting and shouting, it was obvious that this one will just run and run!

Jacquie Vowles