Anything Goes The Alhambra It's surely impossible for most people to get too much of this vibrant, colourful, life-enhancing show with its witty songs by Cole Porter, which has been delighting audiences since 1934.

Isaw it 18 months ago at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, seated next to the exception to the rule: the most miserable man in the universe who never smiled or applauded throughout the entire show.

A fortnight later, with no such curmudgeonly influence around, I watched Bradford Catholic Players give a highly commendable performance at the Alhambra to universal approval. It was the same story last night at the same theatre when the production which is currently wowing the audiences on its national tour came to town.

Who could take anything except total pleasure in a shipboard musical which is packed with fine tunes (among them You're the Top, It's De-Lovely, Anything Goes, I Get a Kick Out of You, Friendship, the showstopping Blow Gabriel, Blow), spectacular hoofing routines that make you want to leap to your feet and yell "Bravo!" and lots of laughter thanks to mistaken identities, mismatched lovers and some glorious knockabout comedy performances?

The secret weapon in this production is Michael Starke (formerly Sinbad in Brookside), taking a break from The Royal to demonstrate a tremendous comic talent as Moonface Martin, the inept gangster who boards the Europe-bound liner SS American disguised as a clergyman. He's a marvellous clown who made a strong contribution to the show's laughter factor, which also has splendid contributions from Antony Reed as Lord Evelyn Oakley, the bumbling English aristocrat who reveals hidden depths, Barry Howard as short-sighted boozy US tycoon Elisha Whitney, Sandra Dickinson as the twittering mother of a bride-to-be, Dawn Spence as gangster's moll Erma and Nathan Dowling and Jay Lim as a couple of Chinese gamblers.

Ria Jones as Reno Sweeney the cabaret singer, a girl with attitude, belts out the big numbers in grand style and is well partnered by Chris Ellis-Stanton as charming chancer Billy Crocker.

Anything Goes is at the Alhambra until Saturday.