Bad Girls' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse until July 1.

In the 1980s and 1990s I was a big fan of the Australian TV Show Prisoner Cell Block H' and more lately of Bad Girls' on ITV.

I thought that this was one show I must see. I certainly was not to be disappointed.

In a major new collaboration with Big Broad and Shed Productions, West Yorkshire Playhouse is presenting the world premire of Bad Girls - The Musical'. After seven years banged up on the small screen, the infamous inmates and screws of HMP Larkhall are breaking out on to the stage in a dangerous mix of deception, romance, riots and revenge.

The musical features many of the original inhabitants of G-Wing.

The story charts the battles of Wing Governor Helen Stewart against the entrenched old guard of corrupt Officer Jim Fenner and his right hand woman Sylvia Bodybag' Hollamby.

On the other side of the bars top dog Shell Dockley, her sidekick Denny Blood, bible-basher' Crystal Gordon, the Two Julies and gangster's moll' Yvonne Atkins have their own feuds to settle.

The cast includes Laura Rogers, who may be more familiar to fans of TV Bad Girls', as drug-addict inmate Sheena Williams, who crosses to the other side of the bars to play Wing Governor Helen Stewart on stage. Making up her staff of screws' are Hal Fowler as Jim Fenner, Rachel Izen as Sylvia Bodybag' Hollamby and Neil McDermott as Junior Officer Justin Mattison.

The Bad Girls themselves are played by Nicole Faraday as Shell Dockley and Amanda Posener as Denny Blood. Hannah Waddingham plays romantic lead Nikki Wade, Ellen O'Grady plays Yvonne Atkins and returns to the Playhouse having played the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' in 2004.

Dawn Hope plays Crystal Gordon, Tricia Deighton plays Noreen Biggs and Elaine Glover plays Rachel Hicks. Elaine returns to the theatre in Leeds having played the title role in The Lemon Princess' at the Playhouse last year.

The Two Julies' are played by Julie Jupp as Julie Saunders and Louise Plowright as Julie Johnston. Michael Harbour plays The Number One. The rest of the cast comprises Emma Bispham, Richard Costello, and Siobhan Harrison.

All cast members played their parts exceptionally well but I was particularly impressed with the acting and singing of Laura Rodgers and Hannah Waddingham. I thought Hannah's rendition of the song One Moment' and her duet with Laura, Every Night', were both excellent. Hannah has a great alto voice reminding me very much of Annie Lennox.

The original musical score reflects the characteristic blend of hard-hitting drama and heart-warming comedy with a fresh mix of funny and moving songs from ballads to showtime, including All Banged Up', Jailcraft' and Freedom Road'.

An inventive and evocative set design by Colin Richmond uses the entire depth of the Quarry stage to capture the essence of Larkhall and the hopes and fantasies of those behind its walls. I thought the technical aspects of the show were absolutely brilliant!

The audience does not see much of what Andy Dye and his construction crew have put together. There are tracks going under the stage, all sorts of grooves, little gaps in the floor with tracking systems underneath, and operators offstage.

All of this means that tables, beds, walls, and even toilets are able to move on and off stage without any human intervention whatsoever.

I must also mention the excellent sound and video use in the show, designed by Mic Pool who is the playhouse's Director of Creative Technology.

This is a great musical with some very catchy numbers, a good storyline and some excellent acting.

Plaudits must go to Maggie Norris as the Director of the show and Kath Gotts who wrote both the script and music for the production. Imaginative and fun, this production gives Bad Girls' an exciting new theatrical identity.

Although it is difficult to say how a musical will run in the future, particularly in London and the West End, I feel that here we have another possible Blood Brothers' that will thrill audiences for years to come.