Bridport has had to wait three years for this Bridport Musical Theatre production.

But it was certainly worth the wait. ‘Anything Goes’ a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter was at the Electric Palace all last week, wowing the audiences to standing ovations and whoops of delight.

The story concerns madcap antics, love tangles and disguised hoodlums aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London.

The extra months the company had to prepare for the show resulted in a very polished production and many of the company graduated from drama school which shows with their singing, dancing, and acting of the highest standard.

Dave Swaffield, the director, and producer has chosen well with ‘Anything Goes’ as it offers the large cast many opportunities to show off their talents, with physical comedy, pacey repartee and touching love songs.

Choreographer Rebecca Mather must be particularly praised for the dynamic dances; fabulous tap in ‘Anything Goes’, as well as romantic dancing, like the beautiful duet in ‘Easy to Love.’

The star of the show, confidently taking on a role that was written for Ethel Merman, was Jodie Glover as Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer who learns by the end of the show to love an English lord: who was comically and touchingly played by Miles Shepherd-Royal, a newcomer to the company.

Lauren Good, the excellent musical director, played Erma, and her scenes with Ross Hughes as Moonface Martin took full advantage of all their comic opportunities.

The reviewer saw a matinee when Jade Farringdon and Harvey Causley stepped up to play Hope Harcourt and Billy Crocker, and acted out the line from 42nd street ‘Go out there a youngster, but come back a star.’

The set and costumes deserve a particular mention, with some quick changes drawing gasps from the audience as yet more glamorous outfits were sported by the lead artists and the passengers.

The dancer’s outfits for the Act One finale, Anything Goes, were superb, made especially for the show by Brenda Swaffield and Melanie Draper.

Cole Porter’s song ‘You’re the Top’ with its fabulously clever lyrics certainly encapsulated what we all felt about this company as we left the Electric Palace.