An engaging tale, well danced, but Flashdance The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue falls short of the iconic film

BREAK out the legwarmers, after a 27 year hiatus Flashdance is back.

Feisty welder Alex (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt) resplendent in a boiler suit and poodle perm, shakes her booty more than Beyonce to break out of her working class chains and win a place at Pittsburgh’s elite ballet academy. Yeah, baby.

At the same time fellow street dancer Gloria (Charlotte Harwood) tempted by the bright lights of the strip club, becomes a victim of sleaze ball pimp Dr Kool (Ricky Rojas) in a Jackie Collins-esque parallel story of sin, redemption and fishnets with holes in them.

Choreographed by reality show grande dame, Arlene Phillips, Alex and the working class gals of Pittsburg pump up the raunch in racy numbers involving water jets, poles and precious little else.

Ironically our queen of street dance is played by a former ballerina but it shows as Hamilton-Barritt’s moves and grooves lack the contemporary bite of the ensemble.

Whilst lead and love interest, Nick Hurley, former Busted member Matt Willis (minus the earring), put on polished performances, the stars of the show are Alex’s working class mom, Hannah (Sarah Ingram) and smooooth Ricky Rojas.

An engaging tale, well-danced, and worth seeing, but a flash in the pan in contrast to the iconic film.