“Oh what a circus, oh what a show,” observes our narrator Che, as the funeral of Argentina’s first lady gets underway in the haunting opening scene of Evita.

And oh what a show this revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic has turned out to be. Moving along at breakneck speed, encompassing the full score from the 1996 movie version, this is a compelling show, beautifully delivered by a talented cast.

The action shifted from smalltown Argentina to the streets of steamy Buenos Aires to Peron’s grand corridors of power, thanks to Bill Deamer’s sexy choreography and designer Matthew Wright’s simple set, consisting largely of stone pillars and staircases.

There are few female musical theatre roles as demanding, physically and emotionally, and as complex as Eva Peron – and Yorkshire’s Rachael Wooding was sublime in the title role.

Appearing in just about every scene, she played her convincingly and movingly from a spirited, albeit knowing, 15-year-old to “Santa Evita”, adored by a nation and dying of cancer at the age of 33.

The bleached hair scraped into a bun, the sharp designer suits and the controlled hand gestures have made Evita an iconic role, stamped by the likes of Elaine Paige and Madonna, but Rachael made it her own.

With a voice reminiscent of Streisand, her passionate delivery of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina – delivered to the theatre’s real audience – was spine-tingling stuff.

Even more moving was her tearful rendition of You Must Love Me, sung with Peron in her arms.

As someone behind me commented, the leading lady was “a slip of a girl”, and her delicate frame was nicely balanced by Mark Heenehan’s powerful, brooding presence as Peron. Their romance, partnership and power struggle was beautifully played. Strong performances too from Seamus Cullen as charismatic Che, the show’s narrator and ‘voice of the people’ conscience, James Waud as Magaldi and Nikki Mae as Peron’s mistress.

This is a musical for people who don’t think they like musicals. Soul-stirring stuff.

Runs until February 28.