Basil Abbott
From cornball 1940s film to feel-good musical proves a journey well worth the taking.
From the moment when the angel (Joe Servi) - a winning mix of Huck Finn and Man Friday - sings in mid-air, the audience is hooked.
The chorus has that drab, overdressed look of the period, in which women still looked feminine.
The music is by Steve Brown, with the book and lyrics by him and Francis Matthews. It is a terrific score, with singing that is vibrant and arresting with the crackle of theatre.
There are no passengers in an outstanding cast; and the children could not be bettered.
The story shows a man going through a Scrooge-like psychoanalytical journey to confront his own life and values.
Paul Thornley takes you with him all the way, through despair and tribulation to the realisation that life and people ain't so bad.
Peter Rowe's production is an energetic, uplifting parable for the times and would grace the West End.
From the audience reaction and word-of-mouth, packed houses are likely from now until October 3.