EVEN if you are not familiar with the original film, or novel it was adapted from, you will know the music of the Commitments from the very first note.

Set in the 1980s, it follows the fortunes of a rag tag group of wannabe musicians who try to make it big as a soul band in the unlikely location of Dublin.

Ambitious but knowledgeable young upstart Jimmy takes the role of manager and the tunes are soon busting out all over.

Modern musicals now fall into a number of categories and for me, this is very much a play with music at its fore.

The songs do not drive the narrative - they are part of the story and what the show is all about and this is definitely its strength.

All the songs those of us old enough to remember the early 90s movie grew to know and love, including Mustang Sally and Try a Little Tenderness are present and correct but there are also a whole host of soul classics on top of that too from Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding to Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin.

The cast are terrific, the script by author of the original book Roddy Doyle zings along, and the party atsmosphere builds and builds into a foot-stomping concert-style finale.

It is difficult to single out anyone in the cast, Kevin Kennedy who many might recognise from his long stint in Coronation Street as Curly Watts, makes a brilliantly grumpy Jimmy's Da and Brian Gilligan as the increasingly arrogant Deco are among a high-energy crew.

At the centre is Jimmy, here played by the charming Dublin-born Andrew Linnie, who doesn't disappoint with his wry asides to the audience and increasing exasperation with his erstwhile band within which tensions soon grow.

The three girls who play the Commitmentettes, Amy Penston, Leah Penston and Christina Tedders, command your attention every minute they are onstage.

The central cast have to act, sing, dance and play their own instruments which is no mean feat and this show, already a smash-hit in the West End really is a must-see if you love music and like a laugh. Lauren Oldershaw

* The Commitments, suitable for those 11 and above, is at Cliffs Pavilion until Saturday. Evening performance start at 8pm and there is a matinee on Saturday starting at 2.30pm.