THERE were certainly no leaves on the track and the timing was impeccable at the Wales Millennium Centre as Starlight Express roared into town.

For sheer energy and the physical stamina required to sing, dance and roller skate simultaneously, nothing could top this show.

And it's just as well there is so much razzle dazzle and pyrotechnics, because underneath it all is a very slim plot and a rather-more-clunky-than-the-trains moral message. In fact, the story of Dusty the steam train, proving that the little guy can win the race ... and the girl, reminded me inescapably of Thomas the Tank Engine, where the brave little train always prevails.

Disappointingly, the races themselves took place as 3D films, the audience donning its 'safety goggles' to watch the drama unfold. It was a clever idea, but made you long to see a production where the races took place around you.

Andrew Lloyd Webber writes that "Starlight was always meant to be fun - an entertaining piece of live theatre." And fun is really all it is - fast, furious, frothy fun.

Starlight Express runs until Saturday, April 29, at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.

Philippa May