A raunchy night out at Theatre Royal Wakefield

World War Two is in full swing but inthe nightclubs of London there’s stillplenty of fun to be had.

Enter Maggie Brown, a northern lass with plenty of grit, a determination to succeed and a wicked way of singing and dancing.

Along with her songwriter friend George, a gay Jewish refugee from Poland (not a great combination in 40s Britain) she is hoping for success as a burlesque singer.

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Fame eludes the pair until they come across wealthy entrepreneur Sir Frank Worthington-Blythe who takes them under his wing and turns Maggie Brown into the alluring Miss Nightingale.

All is going well and they are on the brink of fame until a scandal threatens to destroy their happiness.

Amber Topaz is superb as Miss Nightingale. She’s suggestive and raunchy and rude and makes the role her own.

Llan Goodman is the gentle George, who is devoted to Maggie but is in love with another. He is a wholly sympathetic character and you can’t help but feel motherly towards him.

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Tomm Coles as Frank, is manipulative and two-faced and is quite happy to use all those around him for his own ends.

The original songs and score by composer and lyricist Matthew Bugg evoke the spirit of the era but there are rather too many of them and the show probably runs over by a good half hour. The final number, being particularly superflous, coming as it does after the credits.

The band, though small, are superb and really add to the atmospher of the evening.

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