Where did we go so right? lament the two stars, as the show they produced and expected to be a first-night flop became an instant Broadway blockbuster.

Where did FAOS go so right? Well, they took a Mel Brooks musical which should by rights upset everyone in a fair-thinking community, came up with a cast that some professional outfits would kill for, and produced a show so slick and polished that it took the group to new heights.

Make no mistake, The Producers is a heck of an undertaking. The characters are so diverse, the dialogue long and, at times, so very clever that it’s vital the words are not drowned out by the orchestra, the dance routines quite involved... with a set that needs switching so often.

But the FAOS Musical Theatre Group thrive on a challenge. And they so rarely disappoint. Their attention to detail here is masterful. The result is outstanding.

The plot, simply, sees fading producer Max Bialystock – played with outrageous glee and gusto by the magnificent Rob Wilson – and meek accountant Leo Bloom (think Stan Laurel meets Mr Bean, and that’s Tony Carpenter’s fine portrayal) come up with a plan to stage a Broadway show so outrageous that it closes after one night and makes them both a fortune.

But Springtime for Hitler takes it so camp the critics mistake it for satire, and love it...

Matthew Chapman is made for the role of the play’s author Franz Liebkind – there’s a performance no-one will forget in a hurry.

Tony Sidall, who plays dreadful director Roger de Bris, and Owen White as his assistant Carmen Ghia are wonderfully camp; Dawn Stephens excels as Swedish blonde bombshell Ulla (watch the show and you’ll realise why only her first name is used).

But the principal actors are only part of the show. Any performance can be only as strong as its weakest link – and, quite simply, there isn’t one.

Enjoy and laugh at the performance by the ‘geriatric’ grannies, who are laugh-out-loud funny at times, and marvel at the witty one-liners thrown about like confetti. Appreciate the sounds of a real 12-piece orchestra, which adds so much. And relish the work done by director Sue Sampson and her team, to produce something so much fun, so amusing, so entertaining.

And then wonder again at the performance of Rob Wilson as the maniacal Max. You won’t see many like it.

The show is at the Maltings until Saturday, with performances at 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on Saturday).

COLIN CHANNON