The new musical Flashdance will set thousands of toes tapping during a three-week run at the New Theatre over Christmas. This week I enjoyed a preview of what's in store as this entertaining tune-packed show — developed, of course, from the film of the same name — played to packed houses in Milton Keynes. Its appealing features include an impressive display of female pulchritude; I fancy few Oxfordshire dads are going to jib at the prospect of a family outing to the theatre as part of the festive programme.

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (pictured) delivers a knockout performance as actor, singer and — especially — dancer in the lead role of Alex Owens, the Pittsburgh steelworker-cum-nightclub-hoofer with an ambition to make it to ballet school. Choreographer Arlene Phillips has created routines for her — and for the three leggy lovelies that share her duties on the club dance floor — that are fully up to the raunch level of those she supplied to TV's Hot Gossip, with whom she made her name. Astonishing displays of breakdancing, somersaulting and handwalking also figure.

Anyone familiar with the 1983 film will recognise that its joint scriptwriter, Tom Hedley, has made significant departures from it in his book (with Robert Cary) for the stage show — the first to be produced, incidentally. These include supplying Alex with a good-sort, abandoned-by-hubby mum (ably played by Bernie Nolan) to fuel her career ambitions. Her method is the predictable "don't end up as I have done" approach. By which she means, don't smoke yourself to death while slaving in a dead-end job in a dry cleaners.

There are back stories supplied for Alex's nightclub mates. Keisha (Carryl Thomas), for instance, has an amorous history involving the crooked Dr Kool (Simon Harvey). His seedy pole-dancing club is poaching dancers (and trade) from the better-regulated nightspot run by the easy-going Harry (Gavin Spokes). Among his new victims, alas, is going to be Gloria (Ruthie Stephens), lured away from Harry's with the prospect of video stardom by her bad-hat cousin Jimmy (Bruno Langley).

d=3,3,1One plot detail that survives from the film is Alex's relationship with her steelworks boss Nick Hurley (Noel Sullivan). This even recovers from the revelation that he has used his influence to 'fix' her audition at the dance school — which takes place with an unsurprising result.

Flashdance continues at Milton Keynes until Saturday. For tickets call 0870 060 6652 (www.miltonkeynestheatre.com). The show is at the New Theatre, Oxford, from December 15 to January 3 (0844 847 1588 — www.NewTheatreOxford.org.uk).