A little stardust on a winter's night does the world of good and Cassio Productions' cast sparkled and shone at the Palace Theatre and not just because of their dazzling bejewelled, silky and slinky costumes.

High production values are a trademark of this hard working company but last night they were West End worthy as the cast and crew barely put a foot wrong in their faithful stage adaptation of top five movie of all time Singing in the Rain.

Silent screen stars Don Lockwood (Matthew Bund) and Lina Lamont (Jeni Bolitho-Jones) are box office gold but as the 'talking pictures' loom their future is less certain, especially since Lina's voice is like fingernails down a blackboard. Step in Kathy Selden (Kathleen Paynter) who proves the perfect fit not only as voiceover artist but also as the love interest Don has been lacking in his life.

Choreographer Jo Bispham and director Nikki Scott have marshalled the chorus into a slick outfit, whether they are playing a crowd of cinema goers or executing a high-stepping ensemble routine such as Beautiful Girl or Broadway Melody.

What I absolutely love about Cassio is its inclusivity - there really is a place for all ages, shapes and sizes in their shows, if you can hit a top note, raise your thigh to the sky, dance the two-step or Make 'Em Laugh as the song goes, then you're in. Of the leads, Gareth Edwards as Cosmo Brown, along with Jeni and Matthew were funny, charming and very believable while Kathleen is simply mesmerising.

That goes for technical skills too Iain Syme's audio visual work on the silent film sequences deserves high praise as does Martin Smith's rousing musical direction which saw the orchestra playing from the heavens rather than down in the pit.

The title song was a little bit of a let-down technically and the second half as a whole could have been tighter. However, it was such a thoroughly entertaining and delightful evening that near perfect will do very well indeed, thank you.

Melanie Anglesey

Runs until November 14. Details: 01923 225671, watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk, cassioproductions.co.uk