Ferry Cross the Mersey, Palace Theatre, Manchester. Runs until Saturday. OF all the 60s tribute shows which have been staged recently this is the best.

The main reason is that the pivotal character in the story of the 'Mersey Beat', Gerry Marsden,Zright,Zis actually in the show.

Another is that this is unashamedly a concert - an excuse, if ever there was one needed, to trot out those marvellous hits of the early 60s.

Marsden visits the stage to narrate as Carl Kirshner plays the young Gerry, flanked by his fresh faced Pacemakers.

Gerry's real Pacemakers make an appearance in this production also, but the personnel has changed since the 1960s, so Marsden is the only one left of the original group.

It's Marsden's natural charm and stage presence which hold this show together, but he is helped by some superb performances from the rest of the company, not least Kirshner. Jacqui Cryer's Cilla is also a marvellous impersonation. The set is very well designed by Nigel Hook to allow for swift interchanges of musicians and their instruments.

The musicianship in the show is extremely good and perhaps more importantly sounds authentically 60s, probably because they are using the genuine guitars and amplifiers from the era.

Inevitably, Marsden sings the songZFerry Cross the Mersey,Zalbeit acoustically. Afterwards, he warns the aplauding audience: "This is a play, you know". It isn't, but it doesn't matter anyway.

Equally predictable is the encore ofZYou'll Never Walk AloneZ which had the audience singing along raising the roof.

You wouldn't begrudge this audience their night of nostalgia, nor Marsden his rightful place in the history of pop music. And his voice is still truly massive. NICK JACKSON

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