The musical starts with Joe McElderry, bouncing onto the stage in a fabulous pink and blue ensemble and introducing himself to the audience.  He plays the role of over-exuberant hotel Entertainments Manager Garry who, in-between proving that his X-Factor winning singing voice is still a force to be reckoned with as he belts out renditions of Relax and Just Can’t Get Enough, also shows that he has rather a talent for comedy too.

The musical continues with Lorraine, played by Karina Hind, jilting Olly, played by Cellen Chugg Jones, at the alter and a rather fabulous rendition of Fantastic Day (remember Haircut 100?) followed by a quick flight to the Club Tropicana Hotel, somewhere in Spain.  The musical is a bit of a ‘farce’, with a case of mistaken identity playing alongside the story of girls dumps boy, girl and boy turn up at the same hotel and boy and girl realises she’s made a huge mistake, despite some rather Machiavellian behaviour from her bestie.  It all turns out very nicely though and, along the way, we are treated to a whole myriad of delights from the 80s. The songs are superbly performed by Ex-Sugarbabe Amelle Berrabah as hotel manager Serena, former EastEnders actor Neil McDermott as her business partner Rob and Emily Tierney as the delightfully evil Christine. 

The star of this evening’s show was undoubtedly Kate Robbins though, whose portrayal of Consuela the Spanish cleaning lady, was nothing short of hilarious.  Ramping up the humour the second she bow-legged it onto the stage, Robbins was pure joy to watch.  Impression followed impression, from Cilla Black to Shirley Bassey and even Margaret Thatcher was thrown in for good measure. Her experience and talent clearly shines through.

Club Tropicana the musical will delight anyone who has a penchant for 1980s music and there was plenty of that filling the Theatre Royal this evening.  Although I don’t think there were nearly enough mullets on the men (I seem to remember the 80s being far more gaudy) the show was a rowdy, colourful, joyful bundle of happiness, which had the audience on its feet for the musical finale.

Club Tropicana will be at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal from 9th to 13th July 2019.  Tickets here.