‘Are we going to get a health and safety briefing?” asks Tom, his face frozen in horror. He is about to launch into his first bungee jump as part of his gap year in Australia. At least he set out from England with reassuring words from his mother: “You mustn’t worry,” she says, “if you find you prefer the body of a man”. Tom (Joe Hinds) looks horrified at that moment too. In fact he makes a play for fellow gap year traveller Holly (Bethan McCann) — who he first meets when he falls headlong over her luggage at Gatwick. Along the way Tom and Holly are joined by macho Gideon (Glynn Jones) and by wonderful, fizzy duo Candice (Denise Goff) and Katie (Katie Brennan), Americans who “Love to parteee”. It doesn’t occur to them that cheerleaders’ gear isn’t much use in the outback. The ups and downs of the various relationships ring very true as charted by Dan John’s neatly written script — and frequent, heartfelt laughter all around me suggested that many fellow audience members had encountered similar situations during their own gap years.

Gap Year is subtitled “A new musical comedy” and there are some catchy numbers, written by Tim Gilvin and Patrick Stockbridge. Particularly effective is There’s Always Someone Else, a wistful number sung by Tom and Holly as they realise that they are not destined to spend the rest of their lives together. The singing and dancing is snappily delivered.

This may not be the most original show ever written, but you warm to all the characters – even the seriously annoying, and thoroughly incompetent Australian tour guide with the dodgy moustache. This show should return for a longer run.