STAGE REVIEW: The Glenn Miller Story - at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Tuesday, September 20 to Saturday, September 24, 2016.

TOMMY STEELE is a British stage, screen and music icon. He’s been there, seen it, done it - in fact he appears to have done everything in a remarkable career spanning six decades and his popularity shows little sign of diminishing.

The veteran entertainer was afforded a rare warm round of applause the moment he stepped onto the Festival’s stage and he ensured an opening night near full house remained on side for the rest of a delightful tale about another legendary musical figure.

Steele, who will be 80 in a few months time, still has that twinkle in the eyes so evident in the early days of the boy from Bermondsey who was seen as the UK’s answer to Elvis and Co on the other side of the Atlantic. Now he’s here portraying the life of one of the biggest music names of the past century - the American Glenn Miller.

Although a great Miller and Big Band fan, Steele originally expressed concerns when his long-time friend, producer/director Bill Kenwright, asked him to play the lead role of the great American band leader in his new musical - pointing out he was well past pensioner age and that Miller had been only 40 when the aircraft taking him to Paris to entertain US troops during World War Two disappeared over the English Channel.

It’s a fair point too, as the obvious age gap between ‘Miller’ and leading lady, Abigail Jaye - his wife Helen, is a touch distracting as well as disconcerting on occasions. Perhaps using another younger actor in those early scenes would have worked better. But hey, this is showbiz, so put it to one side and enjoy, and be assured, there’s plenty to enjoy here - especially those silky sounds of the Miller music.

Tommy may have rattled up the years now but he can still deliver on the song front - belting out the bigger numbers and toning it down for more tender reflections.

The boy, sorry the man, has still got it even though the legs won’t let him do all he might wish to accomplish in the dance routines.

Someone else who has got when it comes to singing is Abigail Jaye, what a cracking voice - exceptional with At Last, Moonlight Serenade and together with Tommy for Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart.

Throw in several other fine performances such as Mike Lloyd’s Cy Shribman and Ashley Knight as Miller’s mate Chummy MacGregor, along with a first rate group of musicians making up the 16-piece GM band and dancers and singers who harmonise to perfection.

The whole tale is sadly cut to a story of just over two hours, including an encore and interval when it surely deserved another half-hour., or maybe more. After all, we are witnessing the recreation of the story of one of music’s biggest names from the middle of the 20th century who is still warmly remembered to this day!

What could have been cut a little more were Tommy’s grey locks. He wouldn’t have got away with that length of hair had he served in the US Army!

But it mattered not to his legion of adoring fans in the audience as another standing ovation at the venue, hard on the heels of those for Blood Brothers last week, was utterly deserved.

As expected, it was a mainly middle-aged and above audience but there was still a sprinkling of younger faces giving every indication that Glenn Miller’s musical legacy will continue.