For their bright and breezy interpretation of this ever-popular entertainment attracted full houses at the seafront Windmill Centre last week – and deservedly so.

Not only was it packed with enough brilliant songs for two or three musicals, but it also proved a perfect showcase for some of the company's most talented performers.

Their rendering of classic melodies by Cole Porter, interspersed with zany comedy situations and romantic interludes, delighted enthusiastic audiences.

They were supported by a small band of hard-working musicians under the expert guidance of musical director and keyboards player Pam Hoskison.

The skills of the society's backstage team were also prominently reflected in handsome sets that were smoothly and swiftly changed and in a gorgeous array of truly dazzling and immaculate costumes.

The whole easy-on-the-eyes-and-ears venture was cannily masterminded and choreographed by producer Carolyn Bennett who, in the words of chairman Chris Cooper, "achieved the almost impossible" by getting the entire company tap dancing.

Anything Goes is a fun affair with a plot, bordering on silliness, in which we are introduced to a set of oddball characters embarking on an ocean voyage aboard the SS American.

Billy Crocker is a bright young man working as general manager and factotum for business tycoon Elisha Whitney, who is sailing for London.

Although he has no ticket, no passport and no luggage, Billy decides to tag along in order to be with his new girlfriend Hope Harcourt, a debutante who has been somewhat unwillingly affianced to a stiff-necked, silly-ass English aristocrat, Sir Eveyln Oakleigh.

Billy is helped by another passenger, Moonface, a third-rate gangster masquerading as a clergyman in order to avoid arrest. He gives the stowaway the ticket and passport of his missing accomplice.

This means that Billy has now taken on the identity of America's public enemy number one, the gangster Snake Eyes Johnson, and is forced to adopt a myriad of disguises before he finally lands in the brig.

Also on board is Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer who loves Billy but wants to forget him, and she is accompanied by her Angels, a seductive quartet named Chastity, Purity, Charity and Virtue ("the easy kind").

Some very funny scenes ensue when all these weirdos converge. What matters, though, are the songs and when it's words and music by Cole Porter you are in safe hands.

Michael Brook, sadly in his last LMCS outing before departing for university, proved what a loss he will be to the society by giving an outstanding performance as Billy.

It was a remarkable turn, done with professional polish whether putting over a lively song-and-dance number, romancing his girl in the moonlight with It's Delovely or adopting all those disguises (even as George Bernard Shaw!).

Justine Richardson led the distaff brigade as the jazzy Reno, exhibiting a colourful Vegas-style personality as she romped happily through several of the show's big numbers, making Blow, Gabriel, Blow a particular stand-out.

Matthew Hamper demonstrated again a remarkable flair for comedy, and particularly the more knockabout brand, in his portrayal of the frustrated gangster Moonface. He even transferred this skill into musical terms with items like the Friendship number.

Making her debut with LMCS (although apparently no stranger to amateur theatre), Nikki Cicero completely won me over as Moonface's endearingly scatty moll Bonnie.

On the other hand, Megan Smith, only 17, but already an LMCS veteran of five years, made her mark in the quieter and less showy role of Hope, visiting Billy in the brig and poignantly duetting with him the beautiful Porter ballad All Through The Night.

Portraying the ghastly Sir Evelyn, who finally discovered true love in the moonlight, Tony Bright delivered a spot-on character study.

Emma-Louise Baker, Emma Wilson, Claire Bennett and Rachel Smith proved extremely decorative as Reno's angels, Mark Roberts was a convincing tycoon and Brenda Hargraves registered quite strongly as Hope's socially ambitious mum.

Other small parts were capably played by Ian Sheppard, Marcus Carlisle, Christopher Scott, Craig Harber, Richard Penwarden, Sarah Carroll and James Walton.

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