If ever there was a show that gave the impression the cast of four was a cast of 20, this is it.

Based on the children’s book by Richard and Florence Atwater, this Pins and Needles production follows the incidents in the life of Mr Popper, a man who dreams of being a Polar explorer but has never left his small home-town of Stillwater.

When Mr Popper’s favourite explorer Admiral Drake sends him cargo of an Antarctic penguin, life changes forever.

As one penguin puppet rapidly becomes ten, the cast smoothly turns them in to polished performers.

Russell Morton and Roxanne Palmer are both superb as Mr and Mrs Popper, singing their hearts out in the spirit of 1950s golden-era MGM.

The story lends itself brilliantly to its musical adaption, which works really well to bring a reminiscent sense of charm, romance and comedy to the stage.

Lyrics such as “I’ve got the chills for you - The house had heat but wasn’t warm before they came along,” is typical of the slick music and lyrics by Luke Bateman and Richy Hughes.

For a fitting finale, the cast get the audience on their feet to become little penguins by “tapping tippy toes until they’re totally tappy.”

Four stars