By Hilary Porter

REVIEW:Club Tropicana, Mayflower Theatre

CELEBRATING the era of big hair, big shoulder pads, big phones and more cheese than Sainsbury's Club Tropicana totally fizzes with fun.

Whilst boasting a soundtrack filled with feel-good 80's hits it is the outrageously camp, tongue-in-cheek humour - often loaded with sexual innuendo, that makes this such an entertaining show.

Imagine a place a little bit Love Island mixed with Island of Fernados with nods to Hi-de-Hi, Fawlty Towers, Blind Date and Benidorm and you can imagine the riotous comedy that drives this show from start to finish.

The simple story follows a couple, Serena and Olly who after a jilting at the altar, both decide, unbeknown to each other, to check into The Club Tropicana, a hotel filled with colourful characters who all have issues that prompt them to burst into 80's tunes!

The excellent cast is led by the brilliant X Factor winner Joe McElderry who as Garry, the flamboyant Entertainment Officer is central to so much of the comedy and an absolute joy.

As Spanish housekeeper Consuela, Spitting Image star Kate Robbins is also a fantastic comedian- and impressionist, who in an attempt to convince the hotel inspector there are lots of guests randomly impersonates ’80s icons, from Dolly Parton and Cilla Black to Tina Turner and Margaret Thatcher.

Rebecca Mendoza as her loud and silly single best friend Tracey is also a hoot. The visual humour in this show is wonderful.

Former Sugababe Amelle Berrabah makes her musical theatre debut with confidence and panache as Serena.

Neil McDermott (Robert), best known as Ryan Malloy in EastEnders, and musical theatre star Emily Tierney (Christine) who appeared in Wicked in Southampton also shine.

The dancing and vocals from the entire cast was top-notch.

The soundtrack includes some of the most iconic, chart-topping acts from the era, including ABC, Cyndi Lauper, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, a-ha, Culture Club, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Bucks Fizz and Depeche Mode.

And we enjoyed diverse tracks including Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Take On Me, Just Can’t Get Enough, Oops Upside Your Head, The Look of Love, Making Your Mind Up, Relax, Islands on the Stream, She Drives Me Crazy, Don’t Go, La Dolce Vita, Surprise, Surprise, Church of the Poison Mind, Fantasy Island, Up Where We Belong, I Could Be So Good for You, Fantastic Day and many more. No wonder we were dancing in the aisles by the end!

Club Tropicana runs until Saturday.