Sunshine On Leith Will Leave You Smiling

This musical was first performed in 2007 but made famous by the adaptation into a film more recently. BMOS bring Sunshine on Leith to Birmingham in a premiere that is full of energy.

Set in Leith in the present day, following an ordinary family, this musical is down to earth and true to life. A liberal peppering of Scottish band The Proclaimers songs keeps the mood lifted and the feet tapping. The harmonies in all of the songs are beautifully sung.

Ally and Davy come back to Leith from active service in the army. How will they settle back into family life, what will they do now they are home? As Ally is dating Davy's sister, Liz, this keeps all the action tightly focused and inter linked to the family. The principals performances were polished with chemistry between the two couples, Ally and Liz and Davy and Yvonne, played by Chris Johnson and Maria Rodriguez and Mark Walsh and Brooklyn Barber. The emotion poured into the characters throughout draws you into the story. Mum Jean (Sharon Tozer) and Dad Rab (Rob Fusco) come into their own in the second act when they get their chance to shine.The company added life to some of the numbers with enthusiasm, especially the leopard-apron-wearing-cleaner.

From start to finish the Scottish accents were delivered confidently, both spoken and sung. They were broad, but clear enough for the dialogue to be heard, this is no mean feat for a whole cast to carry off. The scene is set with impressive projections of photographs of the cityscape of Edinburgh and Leith. It allowed the physical set to be minimal and symbolic. This keeps the action flowing between scenes.

Although there are moments of drama, this musical is a feel good show with excellent performances. It will leave you smiling and humming songs all the way home.

BMOS's production of Sunshine on Leith plays at the Crescent Theatre until 3 October​.