Thames Valley Police's chief constable is among those who gets to his feet for the standing ovation as the final melody ends.

It’s just as well there’s a senior police officer in the audience, because the cast of Dreamgirls has just stolen the audience’s heart.

This rendition of the 1981 Broadway favourite, playing this week at the New Theatre, is a riot of lung-busting bravado, sequins and sass.

Aside from a couple of off notes from understandably tired voices in the second half, it is a pitch-perfect, slick re-telling of the rise of R&B three-piece The Dreams and the eventual Icarus-like fall of their self-appointed manager Curtis Taylor Jr (beautifully played by Matt Mills).

Over two acts, the musical tells the story of The Dreamettes. Newly-arrived from Chicago, Effie White (Nicole Louise Lewis on the night I saw the show), Deena Jones (Natalie Kassanga) and Lorrell Robinson (Paige Peddie) enter a New York talent show – but lose after scheming car dealer Curtis bribes the judge.

Having appointed himself their manager, Curtis convinces R&B star of Jimmy Early (Shem Omari James) to take The Dreamettes on tour as backing singers.

Scheming Curtis tricks his way into Effie’s heart, then - intent on making the band more appealing to a wider audience - decides to rename the three-piece The Dreams, promotes camera-friendly Deena to lead singer and cruelly demotes his girlfriend to singing back-up.

The cracks begin to form. Nicole Louise Lewis, standing in as Effie White on the night I see the performance, is hilarious as the sulking former-lead doing what she can to steal the limelight from Deena.

But the sympathy shifts when Curtis breaks his girlfriend’s heart, cutting her from the band and dumping her in an act of treachery worthy of a Greek tragedy.

Her heartbroken howls in stand-out number ‘And I am Telling You I'm Not Going’, begging Curtis to recognise her love for him, are like the throes of an animal in pain. In short, pitch-perfect rendition of how love-lost feels.

Like all Broadway baddies, Curtis gets his comeuppance in the second act – trounced by Effie, now a resurgent queen of soul music, and abandoned by his now wife Deena. And they all live happily ever after, albeit in gold sequins and bright lights.

For me, the stand-out performance is from Matt Mills, who as Curtis is in one breath the honey-voiced Romeo who worms his way into Effie White’s heart then in another the brooding control freak stopping Deena from pursuing her dream of movie stardom.

Shem Omari James, as ageing R&B star Jimmy Early, is wonderful. Electricity crackles from his pomaded curls to his glitter-crusted Chelsea boots.

The standing ovation at the show’s end is well-deserved. You should see this show – you won’t regret it.

Dreamgirls runs until October 1 at the New Theatre, George Street.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward