One of the reasons theatre exists is to move the audience to think.

Up On The Roof certainly moved me - to wonder why on earth I had stayed for the second half.

This musical - one without musicians but I'll come to that later - concerns five students who we first meet on the night of their graduation.

They are up on the roof of their student house musing on what glittering prizes might now be dangled before them. It is 1975 and we are going to meet them again in 1980 and in 1985.

Right from the beginning, these are stereotypes and I never even begin to care about them. To me, they are all charmless and the players themselves seem ill at ease with their roles.

Writers Simon Moore and Janet Prowse proudly say the show was written over three long weekends.Well, it certainly seems like a rush job which has not been looked at since.

It is billed as a bitter-sweet comedy and a musical.

The original show garnered many nominations for awards but why it has been revived, I do not know.

As for the music - hits from the Seventies such as Never Can Say Goodbye, Sad Sweet Dreamer, Band Of Gold and I Say A Little Prayer are all here but no musicians. What you get is a cappella singing.

It is fine the first time, okay the second but, as it goes on, it gets tedious - just like the show itself.

Meeting up with old friends from your youth always sounds good but, in reality, it is disappointing. Take this spirit to Up On The Roof and you won't be let down.

For tickets, call 01243 781312.