THIS show gives new meaning to the term "all singing, all dancing". From the moment the curtain rises, we are assaulted with the sights and sounds of Cuba in all their resplendent glory.

The band strikes up a tune and soon everyone is shaking and gyrating to the pulsating rhythm. At the centre of it all is Lady Salsa, an actress named Trinidad Rolando on whose life story the show is based.

When Rolando descended the steps, surrounded by adoring men, I must admit to having been a bit wrong-footed. Without any disrespect to her, I had expected someone impossibly slim and beautiful like the rest of the cast. Instead, she's a pretty normal-looking older woman - it only seemed a little unfair that she had such a lot to live up to. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Lady Salsa has a largely narrator's role, with the main vehicle being the lithe and lovely dancers.

We travel through Cuba's history from its discovery by Columbus 500 years ago to the 1950s, when it became a playground for rich mafiosos. From her home in the mountains, Lady Salsa seeks out the bright lights of Havana, where she meets stars like Carmen Miranda at the Club Tropicana. She even chats to the revolutionary Che Guevara, who encourages her to pursue her acting dreams.

The story is interesting enough, but really just a canvas for the sizzling music and dance, which are well worth the ticket price.

* Runs until Saturday. Box office 0870 6021130

Published: ??/??/2004