THE animated conversation between two delighted members of the audience as they filed out of the opening night of the musical Chicago, said it all.

As the last chords of the orchestra accompanied us out of the doors, one woman turned to her friend and said: “Now I know why you have seen it five times. It’s fantastic.”

And she was right.

Chicago, which plays at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Saturday, is a high tempo production, with well timed comedy and fast moving choreography, that hardly puts a foot wrong.

It’s a slick and clever production, with the cast acting around the orchestra, which takes centre stage and gets much more involved in the sleazy goings-on, than simply playing top notch sounds and all that jazz.

You’ll be more used to seeing the three main characters in soaps.

Roxie Hart, the chorus girl who murders her lover, is brilliantly played by ex-Hollyoaks and The Bill star Ali Bastian, while sassy, former Corrie star Tupele Dorgu clearly relishes her role of double murderer Velma Kelly - and when you see her in her flapper dress, you’ll realise why she was called ‘Legs’ Kelly in the Street!

Billy Flynn, the smooth and manipulative lawyer keeping both from death row while promising to make them stars is Stefan Booth whose been on the box in Hollyoaks, The Bill and Eastenders.

Bernie Nolan is Mama Morton.

Chicago @ Palace Theatre, Manchester - until Saturday, March 24. Details from 0844 847 2277