Thunderbirds were go, Spectrum was green and almost anything could happen in the next half hour – well two-and-a-half hours – during this musical celebration of the iconic TV shows of Gerry Anderson.

The genius behind the likes of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Fireball XL5 and more was also smart (or possibly lucky) enough to recruit legendary composer Barry Gray to provide the musical
accompaniment, his bombastic approach more akin to big screen blockbusters than the primarily puppet-based children’s TV series he was actually scoring. The effect was to create music as memorable as the
sci-fi shows themselves, and in some cases arguably more so.

Sadly the lasting memory of this concert at Symphony Hall will be the technical glitches that hampered the performance all night. ‘Expect the unexpected’ is another Anderson catchphrase (from 1980s series Terrahawks) and it proved prescient, as time and again the orchestra, all brilliantly turned out in Anderson-themed costumes, were unable to sync with the on-screen videos, meaning they had to restart at least 5-4-3-2-1 pieces, conductor George Morton tossing his headphones away in disgust at one point.

A call to International Rescue definitely felt like the smart move, and mercifully there was an agent on hand in the shape of compere John Culshaw, who filled the downtime with a few gags and impersonations that
kept the assembled fans – many also dressed for the occasion – onside, even though it occasionally felt like he was fighting a losing battle.

It didn’t help that the videos weren’t even that great – the contemporary CGI graphics at odds not only with footage from the original TV shows but also an event that traded so heavily on nostalgia.

Thankfully the exemplary musical performance largely made up for the downsides. The Thunderbirds March could, no should, be the national anthem, and themes from UFO, Joe 90, Captain Scarlet, Space: 1999 and Stingray were all captivating, even though an on-stage dramatisation of the latter – bizarrely played primarily for laughs - was a head-scratching moment that left more than a little to be desired.

Lots to enjoy then, but not quite F.A.B.

3 stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on Saturday 13 July.