THE Pleasure Beach's headline production Hot Ice proved to be hotter than ever when it started its six-month season in front on an invited audience of showbiz and political celebrities.

Despite the odd first-night slip, the production proved once again to be a triumph of speed and splendour over gravitational pull.

Producer and director Amanda Thompson -- of the Pleasure Beach-owning Thompson dynasty -- introduced a new, specially-commissioned and choreographed work called Quixotic into the proceedings, to add the last year's successful Va Voom segment.

Dazzling, no-expense-spared costumes and electrifying skating by the international cast ensured that both culturally-diverse pieces worked well -- led by star of the show Oula Jaaskelainen, the man who put the flying back into Finn.

Look out too for Rossendale-based ice dance champions Natalia Pestova and Alexander Kislitsyn who are both sensuous and seductive.

Hot Ice played to record-breaking crowds last summer and this year's super-cool show is expected to stretch the box office to the limit again. It runs at Blackpool Pleasure Beach until November 3.