Starlight Express is a maximalist fever dream that will make you inner child sing

Andrew Lloyd Webber's quirky musical extravaganza is bemusing yet euphoric, and somewhere at the crossroads of those two polarizing emotions is where we find the heart of this piece. Despite some early skepticism for this production, the reviews have put the doubts to rest: this show is chugging along just fine, full steam ahead.

"Next time you fall in love, it better be with me"

Starlight Express follows Rusty (Jeevan Braich), an old steam engine who challenges his contemporaries to a race to impress the gal of his dreams, Pearl (Kayna Montecillo) - an observation car. The sheer camp of this musical is on full display with its leading cast decked out in locomotive-inspired outfits as they roll around the stage on skates, singing, jiving, and having an all-around grand old time. It's like Cars (2006), but with trains. Or The Karate Kid (1984), but with trains. Or the roller derby, except the skaters are trains.

The musical debuted in 1984, nearly a decade after Webber conceived the idea, originally rooted in the Thomas the Tank Engine universe. It morphed into the modern musical over time and has had multiple successful runs since then, becoming the ninth-longest-running show on West End, a home it now returns to with the latest staging at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.

"Nobody can do it like a steam train, woo woo!"

The new Starlight Express sits comfortably in a purpose-built auditorium, with set and sound design mimicking 90s games and television shows and costumes that would be right at home on an 80s superhero. The designs also blend some amount of immersion into the experience with racing tracks which extend into the audience seating area so you occasionally get a train whizzing past you as the story unfolds. Paired with remarkable special effects and Webber's timeless music, it's hard not to fall in love with this spectacle. And critics most certainly have, despite their best attempts to find fault with it.

Theatrical productions are often lauded for their nuanced portrayal of heavy topics and themes, an expectation placed on musicals as well. Several musicals, especially ones like Starlight Express, have unfortunately been dragged through the wringer for being too "maximalist kitsch," as The New York Times' Houman Barekat puts it, a sentiment shared by Time Out's Andrzej Lukowski and The Independent's Tim Bano. Yet, they all agree on one point: that this show is the epitome of the ol' razzle-dazzle.

Starlight Express is the story of a boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, and boy challenges the local hotshots to a duel to win the girl's heart. It's classic, it's cute, and it's endearing in all the right ways. If that isn't entertainment in its truest form, what is? Paired with brilliance from all members of the cast and crew, this production takes you on the ride of your inner child's life. Just make sure you grab a ticket before you hop on.

All aboard the Starlight Express, next station: the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre!