Complimentary watermelon cocktails and cake at the Aluna Bar was the perfect way to set the tone for an evening of dancing and singing as the iconic love story of Baby and Johnny captured the hearts of the crowds at Bristol Hippodrome on Monday evening.

Set in the summer of 1963, two young hearts bonded over their love of dancing in New York’s Catskill Mountains when Baby discovers an all night dance party at the staff quarters

Despite a swap of cast for the leading role of Baby due to Kira Malou being unavailable, her replacement Katie Eccles won over the audience with her angelic and endearing portrayal of the innocent girl who falls under the spell of her bad boy lover.

As she started off as a shy daddy's girl with two left feet, we watched her grow into a confident dancer. Her comical dancing at the start made you look forward to seeing her progress and the final performance with the famous lift was just breathtaking.

The hit songs Hungry Eyes, Hey! Baby, Do You Love Me? and the heart stopping The Time Of My Life played perfectly by the live band had the crowds up on their feet throughout the performance. The vocals throughout the show were very impressive.

Michael O'Reilly playing Johnny Castle wowed with his spectacular dancing ability which he combined with comedy and charm.

Standing a level above the rest was Simone Covele playing Penny Johnson, Johnny's original dancing partner. Her dance routine at the beginning of the show was like no other and really set the tone for the high level of dancing that was yet to come.

The lifts, turns and spins were breathtaking and we were just mesmerised by her bright red dress which seemed to dance along with her.

The evening was filled with laughter, good music and a classic, feel good love story which is loved by the nation.