IT was one of the biggest movie soundtracks of its era - and it is easy to understand why.

The soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever offers essentially the best of The Bee Gees and although their timeless music can’t be faltered, the musical version of the story didn’t quite hit the high notes that the band are renown for.

The story is pretty much the same portrayed in the film which propelled John Travolta into the spotlight when it was released in 1977. It centres around young Tony Manero who with his friends lives for the weekends. His career prospects are low, his family is dysfunctional and his relationships with women often chaotic, but the dance floor is his one place to escape it all.

Former Casualty star Richard Winsor took on the role of the iconic character with the same strut of the movie’s unforgettable walking scene.

He was charismatic, handsome and believable. Through his choreography the magic of the movie was re-created on stage as he threw all his energy into each move.

Despite the strong performance by Winsor and the ensemble cast, the show came across as more ‘dancical’ than musical.

The set up saw a Bee Gees ensemble perform the hits from the back of the stage while the cast delivered the story through acting and choreography. This was a disappointing arrangement and prevented the audience connecting with the musical narrative. The Bee Gees, however, played by Edward Handoll, Alastair Hill and Matt Faull, handled the difficult vocals with style, and impressed on several occasions especially on tracks Jive Talking and More Than A Woman.

The cast members stepped up too for a few musical numbers, but their performance was lackluster in comparison.

This show delivers on story and choreography, and it is a great translation of the movie to the stage.

But the delivery of the music felt more soundtrack than live performance.

Catch Saturday Night Fever at the King’s Theatre until Saturday.