David Bellan enjoys the chemistry of Flavia and Vincent

‘This is Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace’s follow-up to their enormously success- ful Midnight Tango, and it’s a completely different kettle of fish.

Midnight Tango was simply a dance show, a terrific one at that, but there was no dialogue, no story.

Dance ’Til Dawn is the title of a movie being filmed in the Hollywood of the 1930s. The show (not the movie) is in fact a musical — a non-stop bonanza of singing, dancing chorus girls, a femme fatale, a murdered film star, a glamorous actress (Cacace) and a young man climbing towards stardom (Simone).

Even the policemen and the heavies in this engaging drama dance and sing, and the whole thing is narrated by a sleazy detective, played by Teddy Kempner on great form.

It’s strange that in the glossy programme that devotes pages to the history of Hollywood dance, there is no summary of the plot, but it concerns the recovery of some salacious photos, and the imprisonment of Tony Deluca (Simone) for a murder he hasn’t committed.

Morgan Large’s clever sets take us seamlessly from film studio to glitzy nightclub, seductress’s apartment and prison with the greatest of ease.

At the centre of all this we have the impressive dancing of Flavia and Vincent, backed by the imaginatively choreographed company in pastiche period dances by Karen Bruce.

Much of the action takes place to a recorded soundtrack that belts out a selection of numbers from the 1930s to the 1960s, but there is excellent live singing from Oliver Darley and Abbie Osmon — who does a terrific turn as Lana, the blonde bombshell.

There’s a nice scene in which the chorus girls are rehearsed for so long they have to prop each other up, and a passionate duet for the lovers and stars of the show. Just before the end they return to their first love in a brilliantly executed tango. This show is loud, it’s entertaining and it’s fun.

Dance ‘Til Dawn
Milton Keynes Theatre
Until Saturday
Tickets: Call 0844 8717652 or visit atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes