CHICAGO may be celebrating its eighth anniversary in London next month, but it is still as fresh and funny as ever.

Sally Ann Triplett, former star of Anything Goes at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, took over as fame-hungry killer Roxie Hart last month in "this story of murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery - all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts."

Performed in front of an energetic on-stage band, this sexy, monochromic show by Kander and Webb doesn't dazzle the audience with the usual colour and sparkle of musical sets, but instead with its raunchy dance numbers and risque costumes.

The chorus, in their all-black fishnets, tight leathers and basques, form the backbone to this song-and-dance spectacular, taking on the more minor roles with a sensual sort of aplomb. There is no nod towards naturalism here: the only set used on the blackened stage is a few chairs and it's the supple bodies of the performers that form the crowds and criminals that make up Chicago.

Despite the dark subject matter, the lyrics are witty and dry, ripping apart the world of celebrity, the fickleness of the media and the corruption of the American judicial system without ever needing to preach. This is a world where crimes of passion could make you a star, and the vaudevillian characters on this stark stage know that only too well.

The lead players are, of course, the real show-stealers. Rachel Stanley's lithe Velma Kelly, the celebrity murderess with more than a few tricks up her sleeve, gives a superb performance - she is full of charisma and has a voice to rival Liza Minnelli's in her heyday.

Terence Maynard makes quite an entrance as the slick, charming and utterly corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn, surrounded by dancing girls with enormous pink feathers. He may not have the vocal range and the moves of some of the other stars, but his good looks and charm manage to make him a very popular character with the audience.

Amos (or "Mr Cellophane"), Roxie Hart's downtrodden husband, played by Victor McGuire (pictured below), is instantly recognisable from television shows such as Bread and Goodnight Sweetheart, and is loveable in his understated melancholy as he struggles to understand his unfaithful wife.

Chicago is one of those must-see shows in the West End - it is expertly choreographed, packed with catchy songs, and has a wicked sense of humour.

  • Chicago is booking at the Adelphi Theatre in the Strand, London, until February 25 2006 (there are regular cast changes). Tickets, priced £17.50 to £45, can be booked on 08704 030 303. For more information, visit the Chicago website on www.chicagothemusical.com.