Autumn is here. Its becoming cold-  surely a cue for some old style Hollywood glitz?

If you like song and dance, particularly tap dance, then this is your show. Visually it is  a sparkling, frothy  fizzy cocktail of mistaken identity and razzle dazzle.

The story is merely a loose  framework for  episodic   spectacle, showcasing some of the best  of  Irving Berlin’s timeless melodies, namely: “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”.

Stephen Ridley’s musical direction is impeccable

The choreography is immaculate, featuring dazzling solo dance and stunning unison tap dancing from this wonderfully talented cast.

With great songs, you need great dance. The  sparkling  choreography and the syncopation in full cast tap dancing numbers is flawless, courtesy of Kathleen Marshall framed by a superb, memorable set, design by   Peter McKintosh. It features  revolving Art Deco clock-like motifs ,  incorporating  frantic scene  changes  from bedrooms to bars then hotels to aircraft.  Tim Mitchell’s Lighting adds a glamourous veneer. The  band , complete with boisterous horns, is a delight. Costumes by Yvonne Milnes and Peter McKintosh are shimmering and sharp.

My recollection of the story  is of the 1935 RKO motion picture where Astaire and Rogers set a defining  standard with impossible precision and effortless chemistry, blurring the distinction  between acting and dancing.

It would be unreasonable to ask for that to be replicated. It isn’t, instead we are offered something different. Phillip  Attmore  ( Jerry Travers) is a convincing tap dancer, supple but sharp, opposite him plays Dale Tremont (Amara Okereke). Okereke is visually great with strong vocals, however their romance plays second fiddle to  the comic sub plot characters.

Producer  Horace (James Hume) and his wife Madge (Sally Ann Triplett) are at the centre of the comedy, Triplett is brilliant as Madge, and dominates every time she appears on stage with Hume her hapless foil. Belly laughs on a mid week matinee are difficult to come by but Triplett succeeded time and time again channelling a combination of Lucille ball and Mrs Slocombe. Their partners in crime are almost as hilarious. Horace’s manservant, Bates (James Clyde) is witheringly dry, and a fine looking woman in drag.  Alex Gibson-Giorgio’s gloriously outrageous  chef  Beddini is superb.

You cannot beat Astaire and Rodgers. This production does not aim to. The triumphant “Putting on the Ritz”  is impossible to surpass, instead the ensemble deliver the remaining classics with enthusiasm and verve- and that is enough.

This show excels at farce and is hugely enjoyable for it, a celebration of the diversity and allure of musical theatre. Richard Pitts’ direction breathes life and humour into a libretto which is now ninety years old- and is still funny. Quite an achievement. Continues on nationwide tour.