Isle of Wight theatre was setting for Me and My Girl

This show delivered sing-a-long tunes (and we did), accompanied by music from a live orchestra, along with laugh-out-loud funny moments and some voices to die for, presented with some brilliant staging.

From the outset, this 1930s West End musical-turned film, by Noel Gay, Douglas Furber and L.Arthur Rose, and later updated by Stephen Fry, packed a punch.

When the curtain came up, at Shanklin Theatre, the stage was dimly lit and the cast were motionless, giving the vibe of a photograph of a 1930s street scene.

Bill and Sally get in a muddle over British history (Image: Rodger Hooper)

After that, it was a riot of colour and comedy.

For me, the star of the show was the hugely relatable, down-to-earth Sally Smith, played by Alice Burton-Jones, who didn't put a foot wrong.

She seamlessly mixed heart-rending numbers (notably, the beautiful Once You Lose Your Heart) with tap dance choreography and plenty of laughs, before leading the cast in a rendition of The Lambeth Walk (Oi!).

Sally/Alice was the 'girl' to loveable rogue, Rob Bingham's 'me' - the East-end geezer turned West End gent, Bill Snibson, 14th Earl of Hareford.

In this tale of 'poor meets rich and doesn't really know what to do about it', Rob brought warmth and humour to the role, memorably fighting with his Robes of State and stealing the silver candlesticks ('Come on, gel').

Together, Sally and Bill were a right old lovely pair.

As the no-nonsense matriarch Maria, Duchess of Dene, Dianne Aspinall was simply brilliant.

How she managed not to break character, when the end fell off her croquet mallet unexpectedly, is beyond me.

What a treat to see a show where the female characters are so consistently strong. 

The Island Savoyards' production of Me and My Girl (Image: Rodger Hooper)

With numbers including The Sun Has Got His Hat On, Leaning on a Lamppost and the titular, Me and My Girl, paired with atmospheric lighting and spot on vintage-styling for costumes, there really was something for everyone.

From dead pan butler Charles (Paul Woodford), to the naughty and (sometimes) nice Lady Jaqueline Carstone (Hanna Emily Nixon), her try-hard love interest, The Hon. Gerald Bolingbroke (Simon Apsey) to the austere-turned-heart-of gold Sir John Tremayne (Paul Stevens), this was truly an ensemble piece to enjoy.   

A bright, breezy and summery show, Me and My Girl transported us far away from the torrential rain outside the theatre and had me unpacking the spring florals and sewing shirt buttons on my jacket.