Holiday On Ice is one of those phenomenons that manages to be hugely popular but not in the slightest bit cool.

Olympic champion Robin Cousins, a main creative force behind the multi-national ice empire and a Brighton resident, happily admit this. "It is what it is and Diamonds is no exception. It's extravagant, kitsch and completely over the top," he has said.

Yes, it can be tacky but we all need a bit of glitz in our lives, especially after Christmas.

The title of this year's offering, Diamonds, lends itself to even more sparkle and razzmatazz. It was created to celebrate Holiday On Ice's 60th year.

The ice spectacular takes audiences through the ages. Each scene evolves around a specific person or colour but it was the producers' intention to keep the theme as loose as possible. Without a story threading it together, the show can go across the board - it skips from a Forties speakeasy to a medieval castle and later from a pirate ship to a glowing underwater scene.

This flexibility and lack of an ongoing theme means Diamonds doesn't always flow as smoothly as previous shows, in particular last year's Hollywood.

This does not seem to have put audiences off, however, and each scene was given a rapturous reception.

The show starts in a diamond cave, with light streaming in all directions. Other scenes include Wacko Pizazzo, in which artists create a giant picture and A Sunday In The Park, based on the painting Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte, by George Seurat. This includes a working carousel and rowing boat and is a beautiful piece.

Act two starts in a blaze of glory, with The Pirate Adventure, a scene which includes a huge moving galleon. However, it's the finale, The Treasure Chest, which shows Holiday On Ice at its razzle-dazzling finest. There are feathers, fur, costumes which light up and fireworks.

In between the large set pieces are solos and duets, both on the ice and in the air.

Robin's co-director is Sarah Kawahara, who won an Emmy for the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

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