DUSTY, Petula and Lulu were the faces – and more importantly – the voices of the 60s.

Their hit records formed the soundtracks to many a young woman’s life, as she dreamed of marrying a Beatle and swinging through London’s trendy streets.

And it’s that nostalgic trip down memory lane which makes Shout! The Mod Musical, by Accrington Theatre Group, a great fun night’s entertainment.

Sue Moretta draws in the audience with show-stopping performances before the show has even begun. She chats through memories of the time and switches with absolute ease to stun with numbers as varied as Puppet On A String, Don’t Rain On My Parade and At Last.

Once the show is underway, Sue becomes the narrator to the somewhat flaky story, as women’s magazine agony aunt Gwendoline Holmes – condescendingly telling those who write to her all their relationship and personal woes will be over with a new hair cut and fresh coat of lippy. Her interactions with the cast and comic timing are sublime.

Across the UK, Shout! magazine’s readers – classified by questionnaire – are the naive Red, glamourous Blue, sex-mad Green, loud/American Yellow and domestic Orange.

The latter two had the best share of the songs, for me, played by Laura Schofield with a full, rich tone which so suited her numbers and Jade Brett, who met the challenge of playing the most mature of the girls with sensitivity and heart.

Cathryn Osborne, Jess Balderstone and Maria Masterman, as Red, Blue and Green really brought the comedy out of their characters, again all with strong vocals.

Any one of these five ladies would be a prime choice as a ‘lead’ in a more traditional show, and Shout! was a superb showcase for each of them. Their clean, tight and clear harmonies, too, were a testament to their skills – and that of musical director Lisa Manley, who ran a very slick on-stage band.

The supporting ensemble provided strong backing vocals, especially in Goldfinger, and a great lift. In fact I felt they could have been more involved as a couple of the songs needed their boost. Direction by Howard G Raw was smooth and kept up the pace between musical numbers.

As a show, I’m not sure about this one; it’s more of a cabaret-revue than a musical, with a flimsy ‘plot’.

But, as a production, ATG have yet again put together a feel-good party show – if you enjoyed Boogie Nights 1 and 2 in recent years, you’ll love this.

Ladies in the audience the night I saw it were totally transported back to the era, especially as the introduction of the contraceptive pill was relayed with great comic effect.

The show really is a tribute to the early days of girl power, as each of our bright young things forges her way through life to some interesting conclusions.

Pull on your patent boots, backcomb your beehive and stick on the false lashes to swing on by Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre, until Saturday, performances 7.30pm.

Tickets £12, £8 under 16s, from 01254 380293 or online at www.shout.ticketsource.co.uk.