Jeff Waynes musical version of War Of The Worlds was the ubiquitous soundtrack to countless long, dull car journeys during my childhood.

Its stirring, string and synthdriven prog rock, coupled with a scary and moving narrative, used to make every trip zip along like a lunchtime spent pulling girls pigtails in the playground.

So when I heard that Wayne was taking his version of HG Wells terrifying tale of Martian invasion to the stage, I was more excited than a hyperactive gambling addict in Las Vegas.

Huge anticipation can easily lead to unfulfilled expectations, however, but this action-packed production was truly out of this world. The stage was split in two, with Wayne conducting a large orchestra on one side, which played in tandem with an electric pop band on the other.

The drama took place on a huge screen above the musicians, with the vocalists including Justin Hayward, reprising his role from the 1978 album bounding on stage intermittently to sing hits like The Eve of the War and Forever Autumn.

But the real stars of the show were its art direction, wisely based on Geoff Taylors wonderfully evocative paintings, and the rich, world-weary voice of 22-year dead Richard Burton.

The Welshmans resurrection as a 3D disembodied head could have been a ghastly, disrespectful mess. Thankfully, the idea worked perfectly. Burtons holographic image was somehow both convincing and bizarre and added to the retro-futuristic theme of the album and 1898 novel.

This triumph of a tour deserves a permanent theatre so it can entertain children of all ages for generations.