LAST April at New Brighton's Floral Pavilion I was in the sell-out audience to watch a sparkling, fun-filled show that I knew would travel well.

Gangsta Granny is a family show that hits all the right theatrical buttons.

Mums and dads, grannies and grandpas (a few aunties and uncles too) laughed along with the children and everyone took home a message from this light and bouncy, cheeky yet wonderfully sentimental two-hour 20 minute production.

But more about the moral element later.

Now GG is on its UK tour prior to the West End and it certainly deserves it.

Adaptor and director Neal Foster certainly knows what audiences want.

It really is a show for all ages that uses 'family' as a backdrop.

There's some great one-liners, plenty of visual sequences, sight gags and jokes about breaking wind which create some laugh-out loud moments.

Eleven-year-old Ben reluctantly visits his gran once a week while his dance-obssessed and, at times, mildly-irritating parents go dancing.

They want him to follow in their footsteps he wants to be a plumber.

David Walliams has created an eccentric world that uses some wonderful comedic touches for the nine-strong cast.

Ashley Cousins as Ben and Gilly Tomkins as granny are superb.

They share a lovely, on-stage chemistry.

Both are engaging from the moment we meet them to the bitter sweet finale.

Ben thinks Grammy is 'so boring'.

She offers a menu comprising of ... cabbage.

He is soon 'cabbaged out' and he has a nightmare - a very funny and surreal dream sequence.

At first the weekly visits are tedious until he discovers some jewellery in a biscuit tin.

Granny eventually tells him of daring robberies she was involved in or is she just a Walter Mitty dreamer?

Together they plan a daring raid on the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels.

Music from Jack Poore is short and snappy - one highlight is a Granny rap which has to be seen and heard to be believed.

Design from Jacqueline Trousdale is clever and adaptable throughout.

The scene changes are delightful with an added extra bit of fun as the stage hands take part in the action.

The motorised 'getaway' scooter is inspired.

The moral message I mentioned earlier is that grandparents deserve our respect.

We all get lonely at times - grannies like our heroine here feel loneliness too.

This is one show tinted with sadness but it is over-ridingly joyful.

It will be around for a long time to come.

I will now look at cabbage in a whole new light.

Super Granny!

Four stars.

The show ends it Liverpool Empire run on Sunday, April 23.

Tickets are from 0844 871 3017.