Burlesque-Woking Theatre.

Glitter, feathers and plenty of attitude … Burlesque arrives at Woking Theatre with the energy turned up high. Not quite the emotional impact of the London production, but the big cast brings powerful vocals, the choreography never lets up, the lighting is striking and the costumes are glamorous.

Steven Antin wrote the show based on his 2010 film. We follow Ali as she heads to New York with little more than a powerful voice and hope of finding her mother, Tess. Her search leads her to Tess’s Burlesque Lounge, where she meets Jack and starts to find her place among the dancers.

Unlike some fans of the film who object to New York’s underground music scene replacing Los Angeles, I see the heart of the story as the same. It’s still about a young woman on a quest, arriving as an outsider and discovering who she is under the Burlesque Lounge lights.

The touring production is directed by Racky Plews, with set design by Sara Perks. The company works incredibly hard and delivers plenty of energy throughout. Faye Brookes is brilliant as Tess, with a voice that commands the stage. Tyler Davis is excellent as Jack, and his beautiful voice made every one of his numbers a pleasure.

Having seen the production in London, I couldn’t help making comparisons. While the vocals were strong throughout, some of the show’s emotional beats didn’t quite land. It was a shame that a couple of the villains didn’t convince, and some key relationships lacked the emotional depth to carry the story. The show also suffers slightly from the extra space compared to London’s Savoy Theatre. The pace breaks occasionally because performers have too far to travel across the stage, or when scene changes run a few seconds too long.

Despite those niggles, there were plenty of highlights. A last-minute change on the night saw Macy Dermody Blythe step in as Ali. A slightly late start hinted at some quick adapting backstage. Ali barely leaves the stage, so this was a big task, and she did a brilliant job. Her voice is especially lovely in the ballads. Some of my favourite moments came between Ali and Jack, whose scenes together are sweet and sprinkled with lovely comedy.