Verdict: Five stars.

WITH a soulful soundtrack, quick Irish humour and a throwback to the 80s, there is no doubt that The Commitments will be a right Christmas cracker of a show for Glasgow audiences throughout December.

The musical made its Scottish debut at the Theatre Royal last night - and the Glasgow audience showed their enthusiasm for the show through a standing ovation.

In a similar vein to the 1991 film, the story kicks off with aspiring music manager Jimmy Rabbitte who wants to create an Irish soul band in Dublin.

He forms The Commitments, and the story tracks the rise of the band and the conflicts that arise with too many egos clamouring for the spotlight.

Plot aside, the real star of the show, however, is the music with hits such as Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, Eddie Floyd's Knock on Wood and Otis Redding's Mr Pitful.

Those classic songs are delivered to a high standard by the cast who impress on the vocal front.

Brian Gilligan is simply outstanding as Deco and captures the egotistic singer perfectly through his comic timing, attitude, movement and most importantly voice.

He is backed by Amy Penston (Natalie); Leah Penston  (Imedla) and Christine Tedders (Bernie) who bring a sexy sassiness to the group and hit the high notes when it counts.

The comedy, however, is what made this film a hit in the first place and Roddy Doyle's writing provides plenty of laughs with each of the cast adding to the humour.

Former Corrie star Kevin Kennedy, who played Curly Watts, is one of the pioneers of the comedy in the show in his role as Jimmy's da.

He steals the spotlight with his one liners and daft dancing, and his own stage chemistry with his son played by Andrew Linnie is on point.

Whether you have seen this film or not, you will love The Commitments because it provides pure escapism.

It is a classic jukebox musical that has the backing of brilliant writing.

And hearing those songs again will have you leaving the theatre with a smile on your face.

Catch The Commitments at the Theatre Royal until December 30.