BOYS will be girls will be boys... or is it the other way round?

Either way, cross dressing, drag acts, showgirls who might be men, bigotry, relationships, both gay and straight.. it all adds up to a whirlwind of a plot which has confirmed La Cage as one of the world’s most enduringly successful musicals since it hit Broadway in 1983.

Backed up with a great score and some unforgettable songs, it’s one of those shows that rattles along with such pace that, before you know it, you’re on your feet cheering the final bows.

It takes courage for any company to undertake such a project, but for an amateur society such as Newcastle’s West End to take it on, and to pull it off as they most certainly have, is astonishing. Not only have they got the principals to do the job, such as James Cowper, as Albin, and Keith Wigham, as his partner Georges, but also the depth of talent extends to the supporting characters, such as the outrageously camp Arron Kidd, who plays Jacob the maid, and newcomer Baden Burns, George’s son.

The showgirls, aka the Cagelles, are a mixture of men and some very tall girls and they set the scene for a great night with a spectacular version of the show’s most famous number, I Am What I Am. The bar is set high from the outset, and it stays high throughout.

■ Until Saturday. Tickets £9- £18. Box office: 08448-112- 121

Iain Williams