There’s little doubt that most of the packed house had come to see the Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, and it’s equally clear that the show has been devised to appeal to an audience not over-familiar with the tango. This has been done by inviting us into an Argentinian nightclub, to view the dramas and seductions of one particular evening, and it works pretty well.

The central story concerns Vincent’s jealousy over Flavia’s flirtation with Giraldo — the characters all have stage names, which is pointless as you never get to know them, so I’ll stick to their real ones.

Morgan Large’s atmospheric nightclub setting — a lofty, shuttered room with an overhanging balcony and a double height bar — sets the mood perfectly. It’s empty, and waiting for things to happen.

In come tubby Teddy Kempner the barman and his nervous wife Tricia Deighton. They are not dancers, but they supply some nice moments of comedy. Gradually the eight dancers stroll in.

They take a drink sitting at tables, chatting, trying out the odd step here and there, until the two stars arrive, and the dancing begins.

This is tango of very high quality, and the cast are an attractive bunch, with Guillermo Torrens outstanding in his sinuous arrogance and flashing footwork.

Basically, the show opens up tango dancing for popular consumption, providing something very enjoyable to watch, but losing in the process the sexually-charged intensity that can be created by a smaller group with no story to tell.

The music comes from Tango Siempre, often seen in our region’s theatres, with the outstanding pianist and composer Jonathan Taylor at the helm.

Their playing, much influenced by the legendary tango innovator Astor Piazzolla, has just the right, gritty, late-night feel of a Buenos Aires nightclub.

The choreography — all the work of Vincent and Flavia — is imaginative and authentic, and the action on the stage is well thought out. Clearly they have designed the evening as a showpiece for themselves, but curiously, it’s the rest of the cast who make the best impression.

Flavia is a very talented dancer, but, in her bobbed hair and inappropriate dress, she looks like Sally Bowles who got on the wrong boat, while Victor, who turns out to be rather small, dances brilliantly, but with a slightly Chaplin-esque eagerness to please.

This is a colourful, often spectacular evening, and you can see Midnight Tango until Saturday.