Spinning social mores on their heads while portraying statuesque beauty, the girls of the Windmill Theatre sashayed onto the entertainment circuit just when Britain needed a breather from the woes of wartime. Proprietor Mrs Laura Henderson's Revudeville was an eye-opener that proceeded to remain in business even while bearing the brunt of the Blitz for which her venue gained the famous motto: 'We Never Closed'.

Director Terry Johnson explains in the programme notes that when he saw the 2005 movie Mrs Henderson Presents he wished he had picked up on the story first and his delight in representing it for theatre audiences is palpable throughout.

The stage version dutifully follows the film as the fiesty Mrs H (Tracie Bennett) employs the talents of impresario Vivian Van Damm (Ian Bartholomew) to help revive lagging box office returns and together they devise to get bums back on seats by getting the female performers to bare all. But first they need the Lord Chamberlain's approval and Lord Cromer (Robert Hands) is having none of it until the doughty Laura comes up with the ingenious plan that 'if it doesn't move it isn't rude'.

To tempt the chorus into her way of thinking, Mrs Henderson takes them to galleries to see famous paintings of naked women. They warm to the idea but only under the condition that the male cast and crew including Vivian are made to strip first with hilarious results.

All that's lacking now is a leading lady so the unwitting Maureen (Emma Williams) is plucked from stagehand to star of the show. Eddie (Matthew Malthouse) holds a torch for her but his affection is not reciprocated and as war breaks out he goes off to do his duty. Meanwhile, as the bombs fall the girls hold firm.

Beautifully choreographed, Mrs Henderson Presents is a tasteful tribute of the courage and creativity of women and a tribute to the female form. A corpulent gentleman sitting beside me in the theatre may have given me pause for thought when slurping ice cream as the ladies disrobed he smacked his lips and pronounced 'lovely', but that they were. Mr Johnson presents a very witty night of fun and a celebration of female empowerment all in one, bravo.