FOR fans of Motown, this is an absolute must.

Once the hits start coming, they just don't stop. The cast rattle through an incredible total of 66 songs in two and a half hours.

See all the songs made famous by Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye.

That's I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Dancing in the Street, ABC, Reach Out I'll Be There, Stop! In The Name of Love and dozens more, all delivered with beautiful vocals and brilliant choreography by a talented cast.

I'm reliably informed by my parents, who saw many of these acts in Mayflower Theatre's previous incarnation The Gaumont or in Bournemouth in the 60s, that the mannerisms and performances of each and every act were spot on.

This is the rags to riches story of Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, who borrowed $800 from his family in a bid to realise his dream of owning his own record label in the motor city Detroit.

He seemingly had the golden touch, launching the careers of so many artists who remain household names today.

Last night's first night audience lapped it up, loving the back to back hits and taking to their feet for the hit-packed finale.

But, in giving the fans what they so clearly wanted, the show felt a little rushed. So many songs were packed in that many had to be truncated just as they were about to reach their crescendo.

Of course the cast would have been here all week if they performed every hit from the incredible Motown back catalogue in its entirety, but for me there were notable absentees including Bernadette, Ben and my personal favourite You Can't Hurry Love.

I would also have liked to find out more about the life and loves of Berry Gordy, apart from his well-publicised relationship with Diana Ross, and could have done without the introduction of two members of the audience to the stage in a bizarre pantomime move.

Despite the show's flaws, for someone who grew up in a home surrounded by the music of the Motown era, this was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Motown the Musical runs until Saturday October 12.

Tickets: 023 8071 1811 or mayflower.org.uk