Currently touring the UK, A Chorus Line opened last night (Tuesday 10 September) at Birmingham Hippodrome.

The hit Broadway musical celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, and drawing on real-life testimonies, tells a story about the often brutal life of Broadway performers. Behind the glitz and glamour are battle-scarred professional dancers vying for a coveted part in the next show, whatever it may be.

This new production is helmed by Leicester Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster and features all the hits, including What I Did For Love, I Hope I Get It, and One [Singular Sensation].

A Chorus Line is different from most West End touring productions. For starters, it features minimal sets and costumes, instead relying on the dancers telling their stories to capture the audience’s attention. It’s a challenge to which the whole cast rise impressively, singing, dancing and acting their way through an interval-free near-two hours, recounting the stories of their lives as they audition for the latest Broadway production (called, unsurprisingly, A Chorus Line).

There’s an interesting mix of traditional staging and more contemporary concepts, such as using cameras on stage to provide close-up views of the actors. This strategy works particularly in terms of conveying the dancers’ thoughts, nerves and emotions during the heartfelt song, I Hope I Get It.

I thought the decision to occasionally place Zach the director, played by Adam Cooper, in the stalls was brilliant. From his position in the auditorium he calls the performers on stage. It really created a feeling of being included in the show for the audience, and of watching an actual audition take place.

This is a real celebration of the hard work that happens off stage to create a theatre show. The cast are terrific and give a slick and invigorating performance. However, if you’re expecting to be blown away from the opening scene, you might be disappointed. There’s a lot of dialogue throughout the show, as each character tells their intimate and personal story about their lives and chasing their dreams. Ultimately this is about the audition process rather than the Broadway production itself.

Every single performer gave a stand-out performance last night, but my personal favourite was Jocasta Almgill, who plays Diana Morales. Her rendition of What I Did For Love was very emotional, the song providing her with the ideal opportunity to demonstrate her impressive vocals.

The finale - A Chorus Line’s probably most famous number, One [Singular Sensation] - was a joyous celebration, with spectacular lighting, impressive choreography, dazzling costumes and marvellous pyrotechnics combining perfectly as the audience started to applaud before taking to their feet to show their appreciation for this truly timeless show.

5 stars

A Chorus Line was reviewed by Sue Hull on Tuesday 10 September at Birmingham Hippodrome, where it shows until Saturday (14 September)