THE Last Ship is global superstar Sting's homage to the Wallsend where a young Gordon Sumner was born grew up and then fled.

This work - eight years in the making - is his personal 'guilt trip' of sorts where he has gone back to his North East roots to say a heart-felt ‘thank you’ for shaping him.

And he has done his home town proud.

The Last Ship is their story and over three hours he uses a diverse soundtrack including folk-rock to provide an atmospheric political tale with love sub-plots beautifully told.

It is indeed soul-full: celebrating the soul of Tyneside the soul of the shipyard where his father worked and the souls of lovers.

And Sting puts his own heart and soul into the music and lyrics.

The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance, What say You, Meg? and Dead Man's Boots are performed by members of the vibrant cast aided by a faultless five-piece band in the orchestra pit.

His hits All This Time, When We Dance and Island of Souls are seamlessly sewn into this theatrical tapestry written and directed by Lorne Campbell who has re-written after its American run.

The set is and design by the genius 59 Productions is a major factor of the production's visual success.

It is simply stunning in every aspect: towering cranes; a pub; a church; a shipyard and half-built vessel over the terraced streets while crashing waves skylines are projected onto screens.

When sailor Gideon Fletcher returns home after 17 years at sea, tensions between past and future materialise.

There's also some nice touches of humour.

It is an 18-strong ensemble piece, but Joe McGann and Charlie Hardwick are outstanding as Jackie and Peggy White - he a foreman and she a feisty supporter of the defiant community.

Richard Fleeshman as Gideon has a remarkable Sting sound-a-like vocal and makes this role his very own.

The Last Ship would strike a chord with Merseyside workers from the docks to the factories.

My dad - a docker - would have related to it and my brother who worked at Cammell Laird's, too.

The finale gave me genuine goose-bumps.

I haven't been this moved by any new musical since I first saw Blood Brothers 30 years ago on this very same stage.

For the opening night a beaming 'hands on' Sting joined the encore for the standing ovation.

The Last Ship is a classic musical about people who believe that change doesn't trickle down, it rises up.

Five stars - a monumental musical.

The production runs until Saturday (April 14).

Tickets from the box office on 0151 709 4776.