Come and meet those dancing feet is the cri de coeur of this week's show at the New Theatre, and the happy-tappy moves of 42nd Street are pure escapist fun to watch. Though the Hollywood film it is taken from was made in back in 1933, this production captures its original charm well.

Its a classic tale of the naïve dancer plucked from the chorus to be given a shot at stardom on ol' Broadway when the star of the show breaks her leg. Jessica Punch does a grand job in the Ruby Keeler role of small town girl Peggy Sawyer, who has so much raw talent that it shines out from under her unsophisticated appearance. Also impressive in the diva role of Dorothy Brock is Julia J.Nagle, whose rendition of I Only Have Eyes For You was especially pleasing.

Peggy is groomed for stardom at ruthless speed by legendary theatre director Julian Marsh. These are the tough times of the 1930s Depression and everyone's career, jobs and finances rest on the success of this show. Paul Nicholas, as Marsh, is in fine form. His role as the talented, tough (but underneath it all really lovely) director of Pretty Lady drives the both the fictional show, and the one we are watching. He pulls out all the stops for his big number Lullaby of Broadway, and showed that he had nifty dancing moves too.

But for me it was the chorus and their amazing tap dancing that transforms the evening into something really special. The show is peppered with so many long, complex routines, taken so very, very fast, that I was breathless just watching. Their singing was exemplary, too - belting out anthems such as We're In the Money while jumping on and off giant coins. The title number itself, 42nd Street, was a masterly display of hoofing.

The production is a homage to the style of the great Hollywood musical director Busby Berkeley. The sleeper train setting of the number Shuffle Off to Buffalo I remember clearly from one of his classic Gold Diggers series of films. His trademark device of filming the chorus from above during lavish numbers was cleverly recreated by a huge carefully positioned mirror over the stage, which I thought was an inspired idea.

It is such a fun show - unpretentious, pretty and lively. I don't think anyone in the audience could resist tapping their feet to the music. I know I couldn't.