At last, the first night of the third stop on the Never Forget tour, on a cold Potteries night that needed to find all the warmth it could get. And there couldn't be a better show to provide it (and I don't just mean the finale pyrotechnics).

Never Forget is the story of five Manchester lads being moulded into the finest Take That tribute band on the circuit by manager Ron Freeman (Teddy Kempner's fantastically blustering creation) and of the lead singer Ash Sherwood's romantic involvement with Chloe Turner (Sophia Ragavelas).

Ash, played with much charm by Dean Chisnall, is joined in the band by his best mate Jake Turner (Craige Els), shy banker Adrian Banks (Tim Driesen), dim stripper Dirty Harry (Eaton James) and Jose Reize (Stephane Anelli), a Spaniard with an unhealthy obsession with his mother. Together these unlikely lads set off for "World Ruddy Domination" only for maneating Annie Borrowman (Joanne Farrell) to stand in the way of both the band and Ash and Chloe's engagement.

The music, as you'd expect, is great and instantly familiar and connects with the whole audience, not just the Take That die-hard fans. It's helped by the performances, the five guys give it their all while appearing to have a great time with a great script that never takes itself too seriously. Sophia, with a speaking accent that sounds as though she was born and bred within sight of the River Irwell, gets a chance to sing out with Love Ain't Here Anymore and brings an incredible emotion to an already beautiful and powerful song. And she gets to show the other side of Chloe's character in the sizzling Relight My Fire. Add to all this, a fine, polished, back-flipping ensemble and the show can't fail to bring a big smile to anybody's face. Even the rain at the end of act 1 played its part.

To borrow some lines from the fantastic Ron Freeman.....Never Forget is better than good...it's GOOD!!! but as for World Ruddy Domination....well, if it can get a Tuesday night audience in Stoke-on-Trent on it's feet and get this particular writer singing a medley of Take That songs all the way home....who knows?!