If there is a better show tune than Anything Goes, argue it out with me.  If there is a better show on the fringe than this right now, take me to it.

Racky Plews debuts as director in spectacular fashion with this winning version of Benny Green's warm homage to playboy composer, Cole Porter.

For the captivating musical notes she can thank Porter's genius - but don't be fooled into thinking the hard work has been done for Plews and her cast of eight.

John Plews, billed here as John Martin and the butt of in-jokes in the programme notes, narrates the songwriter's biography with authority, walking us through Porter's achievements from Yale scholar to Broadway big-shot.

By the interval, we reach Anything Goes, the show still drawing rave reviews in the West End and that infectious title tune.  The entire cast muscle in on this number to great effect.

Part two is just as good, whisking us to Porter's later success Kiss Me Kate with the slapstick fun of Brush Up Your Shakespeare.

Georgina Wyatt excels in her second Gatehouse show of the year, local celebrity Tim McArthur uses his booming voice to throw in an assured performance while James Pearson's majestic vocals add extra strength to the mix of voices.

But the audience leaves most enchanted by Hara Yannas.  Big rolling eyes, a power punch voice, she turned filler songs such as Lost Liberty Blues (dressed as the Statue of Liberty) and The Laziest Gal in Town into show stoppers when they might have been eclipsed by the more obvious tunes in the Porter cookbook.

It's a long show but Cole doesn't run out of steam and as far as I was concerned they could have sung all night.

                                                                                                                            Richard Osley

This tribute to Cole Porter is a lightly devised affair.  The narrator talks us through Cole's life with chronological storytelling and the show opens with a few numbers from Porter's Yale years.

Once we're into his more fruitful period, the songs make the narrative worthwhile. Here are most of the standards plus a few surprises - James Pearson's performance of 'You Don't Know Paree' is one of the night's highlights.  The performers are young and they're all able to shine when the material suits.  Gemma Morsley offers fine sultry vocals in 'Love for Sale' and 'Every Time We Say Goodbye'. Lincoln Stone is a suave presence who seems ideally suited to 'I'm a Gigolo'. Hara Yannas' expressive features and sweet peep of a voice help her solo comic numbers, including 'The Laziest Girl in Town'. Special mention too should go to MD Chris Lambert, who not only takes keyboard duties, but has a show-stealing turn in the obligatory 'woman at bar' scene.                                                                        Kieron Quirke

The great Mr Porter is without doubt the master of melody, and his lyrics are second to none - think of the positive genius of rhyming that goes into Brush Up Your Shakespeare - "If your blonde won't respond when you flatter 'er / Tell her what Tony told Cleopatterer".

He belonged to the days when lyrics had wit and every one of his shows contained many tunes of such diversity that the paucity of melody in recent musicals looks pale indeed - choosing the items for this show must have been a nightmare task.

I Happen to Like New York is handled masterfully by Tim McArthur, and arranger Kenneth Moule's soaring harmonies in Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love bring joy to the most jaded palate.  As a criticism, in order to get the full impact of Brush Up..., it should be done as in the original by a pair of hoodlums.

Despite these niggles, the incredibly talented cast do director and choreographer Racky Plews proud.  The show deserves a bigger theatre and a wider audience.

                                                                                                               Aline Waites