With a back-catalogue that reaches as far into the past as 1946, the Oxford Operatic Society presents Thoroughly Modern Millie at the New Theatre as its first production of 2012.

It’s 1922 in New York City and new girl Millie Dillmount is young, modern, and looking to marry her boss — once she secures a job, that is. Thoroughly Modern Millie details the subsequent adventures — and misadventures — of the eponymous heroine, weaving song and dance into the search for the right (rich) man and dalliances with the white slave trade.

Although the majority of the original score is not used in the Oxford Operatic Society production, the replacement is certainly not a disappointment. Despite the changes, fear not, fans of the film: there are still some instantly recognisable refrains. The fresh songs fit the show to perfection, meeting the need for both humour and flapper-age style.

The news that an amateur — albeit well-established — group is set to take on an all-singing, all-dancing stage show, complete with New York accents, can lead to feelings of uneasiness. The mild sense of dread, however, had completely ebbed away within minutes of curtain-up, as it became clear that the classic was in safe hands.

Barring a few instances of accents gone awry, the cast’s performances were entirely convincing and, apart from the odd line that was lost beneath the accompaniment, the musical numbers were equally notable.

Hannah Veale’s charm and complete grasp of her character as Millie, not to mention her truly striking vocal talents, made the production a pleasure. And, on the comedic side of things, Fleur Yerbury-Hodgson as Miss Peg Flannery and Edward Blagrove’s Trevor Graydon III turned every scene at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company into well-choreographed hilarity.

Staged on various sets that included an elevator fuelled by the power of tap dance and a drop-down subtitle screen for songs performed in Chinese, (yes, you did read that correctly, and yes, the concept did actually make sense,) the OOS did not skimp on the scenery. This decision proved worthwhile, too, as the attention to detail in both costume and set-design gave the entire production a stylish and highly professional finish.

Doused in drop-waist dresses and so many sequins, director Anne Robson’s reincarnation of the well-loved classic manages to retain the charisma and comedy of previous workings of the show and is not lacking in confidence when it comes to incorporating new additions.

Thoroughly Modern Millie proved a joy to see, and the Oxford Operatic Society can add another title to their impressive time-line of successes. It continues until Saturday.