Oh! What a Night, Norwich

CAROLINE CULOT

Oh what a night of '70s disco fever is to be had in this show! The big lapels, the platforms and the flares are all to be seen in this dynamic musical at the Theatre Royal which looks back with attitude to the '70s and disco.

Sheila Ferguson, former lead singer of The Three Degrees, proves after 30 years she is not giving up or giving in but still going strong, simply dazzling last night as Roxie Rochelle.

The loose – and it is loose – storyline, sees Roxie, who has hit the big time, return to her roots in a New York nightclub in 1976 to look for new dancers for a movie. This is a good excuse for the cast to take us through some of the most memorable disco tunes of the '70s including Car Wash, Play That Funky Music and Disco Inferno.

But really bringing the house down was YMCA performed in true Village People style.

But, fantastic as Ferguson is (forget three degrees – she got temperatures rising to 103), the show's real stars are the dancing cast, led by the incredibly energetic Pili Lopez.

All the dancers give 200pc all the way through these exhausting and demanding routines. When these guys jump, just see how far off the ground they go.

Its hats off to director and choreographer, former Royal Ballet School pupil Kim Gavin for putting together such sensational dance moves and finding a team of young people able to carry them off.

But this is 1976, 2003-style. The show may be a homage to the grooves, but, in reality, neither dance nor fitness had really evolved to what it has now. Last night the six-packs gleamed — and they were on the girls! I don't really think we looked quite that toned back then, and one only has to look at those cringe-worthy dance routines in Saturday Night Fever to remember what disco really meant. Now, dancers are pushing boundaries further and the result is what we had last night, which was truly funky and fabulous stuff.

The show runs until Saturday February 15. Box office: 01603 630000.