IF ANY show was sketched to prove the timeless exultation one actress has bought to this nation for decades now, Isobel Lennart's unwaveringly uproarious 'Funny Girl' is an ode to Sheridan Smith - the stage performer who displayed exactly why she is the greatest stage star our country has seen for decades.

Despite being crafted by Lennart 54-years-ago and taking to the Broadway stage for its premiere a year later, 'Funny Girl' feels as if it was written with Smith in mind. The semi-biographical narrative sees buxom-but raucously droll Fanny Brice's rise from out-of-sync dancer-come stage extraordinaire and her often volatile relationship with gambler Nick Arnstein.

Smith, a stalwart of British television from her on-screen debut in 1999 in The Royle Family, through the long-running series of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps right through to her celebrated work as Charmain Biggs and Cilla Black, was born for this musical. Her virtuoso portrayal of Fanny saddened, shocked but inevitably shone as her instant rapport with the audience at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre allowed the sold-out crowd to join her character on a journey of self-discovery and resilience.

Although a performance that has no doubt seen Smith, whose heartbreaking melodies in 'The Music That Makes Me Dance' and its finale counter-acted the risque, cabaret numbers such as 'Cornet Man' astutely, cement her legacy, as she was joined by a cast befit of such a star.

Playing the suave, yet ultimately stringent Arnstein was 00s' heart-throb turned stage principal Darius Campbell. With a voice more mysterious and unrecognisable from his chart-topping days of 2002, Campbell's alluring nature remained his most enticing characteristic as his and Fanny's romance grew.

This is a story that had music right at its core. Set in mid-1920s New York, the music harked back perfectly to a time we all still yearn for. The glamour, the dancing, the costumes - abiding music hall that continued to smack a punch of toe-tapping energy of the audience throughout.

'Funny Girl' has been a sensation across the country. Gracing Southampton until Saturday May 27, it's a show that has to be seen, heard and ultimately danced to.

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