"The distance doesn't matter, it is only the first step that's difficult." We all know that quote in one form or another.

For Richard Harris, it might constitute a background context for his witty examination of the foibles of a group of amateurish tap dancers in pursuit of that golden glory of night-class achievement, a chance to shine in the local charity gala concert.

The road from catastrophic first rehearsals to never doubted success allows the playwright to tease out both the inherent comedy of the situation and the personal inhibitions and frustrations of his disparate troupe of wannabes.

Although Harris never stoops to patronising his characters, there is some sense of the formulaic about his choice of types.

Debbie Norman's Mavis begins as everything you would expect from a committed teacher. She is positive and patient until the echoes of her own personal problems begin to sour the shambolic venture.

She has seven women and one man to shoehorn into a viable performing group.

The women are variously blousey, painfully shy, petulant, over-confident and interfering.

Denise Worme as the gloriously well-proportioned Rose is even delighted to describe herself as the "token black".

It's all a lot of fun in the first half and the acting of the entire cast is spot on thanks, in no small part, to the sense of timing which Chris Jordan's direction has injected into the production.

After the interval, the overlong second act takes a downward turn as Harris allows an element of sentimentality to creep in.

Of course, it's very humane, if hardly original, to remind an audience that these characters who we are happy to laugh at all have a backstory.

This might involve wife-beating, unwanted pregnancies, the death of a spouse and the loss of love but such hints as he offers seem more glued-on than necessary. Alan Ayckbourn would have had a finer touch.

Nevertheless, it's a good evening's theatre. On the first night, a late indisposition meant an unrehearsed Georgina Sutton had to take on an important understudy role at very short notice.

She was so good, we hardly noticed. Now that's what I call stepping out.

For tickets, call 01323 412000.

Review by David Wilkins, features@theargus.co.uk