REVIEW: Dreamboats and Petticoats, Theatre Royal Brighton

With songs like Dream Lover, It’s My Party, Only Sixteen and Hey Baby it was hard not to find yourself clapping and tapping along with the cast of this energetic musical.

I went along eager to see Tarring’s Terry Winstanley, best known for his appearance as a contestant in the X Factor, turn his hand to acting.

Terry gave a thoroughly convincing performance as two characters – older Bobby, and Phil, youth club leader and young Bobby’s dad.

The whole cast proved just how talented they are, not just with their first-rate singing and dancing, but by quickly transforming the sets themselves, and best of all, by performing every single song and musical interludes.

There were electric guitars, drums, a saxophone, flute, oboe and trumpet – used to create the iconic sounds of the swinging sixties.

Set in 1961, Dreamboats and Petticoats tells the story of a group of teenagers bidding to win a song-writing competition. Two of the young musicians compete for best song and the affections of Sue, played by the very talented Robyn Mellor.

Lead characters Bobby and Laura, played by David Ribi and Samantha Dorrance, proved themselves the true stars with their superb vocals and perfect performances.

Featuring some of the greatest hits of the rock ‘n roll era, a clever slow-motion sequence of a fight scene and plenty of cheeky lines in the script, the show will entertain those who remember the sixties and those who don’t.

By the end, everyone was on their feet, as the cast performed three classics. The lady sat next to me said she had had a wonderful time, particularly getting to dance along to Let’s Twist Again!

Dreamboats and Petticoats runs until Saturday (March 10). For tickets, call 08448 717 650 or visit www.atgtickets.com

By Sarah Dale.