Blonde Bombshells of 1943 is a swinging hit at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

It is the story of a northern, all-girl wartime band – not a million miles away from the Ivy Benson band – who are preparing for their most important gig – a broadcast for the BBC.

The first half is about the auditions and introducing each member of the band – two of whose husbands are missing in action, a piano accompanist and a bandleader married to her job.

Bandleader Betty needs to find four members to complete the eight-strong ensemble. Enter a naive teenager schoolgirl, a nun and a ‘posh tart’ who is an army driver … and Pat, a male drummer they make wear a dress so he fits in.

The second half is the build-up to the radio appearance and then the concert – all set against the backdrop of enemy bombings. It is not a competition, but London was not the only city to experience a blitz.

The drama and comedy comes from the character clashes – the two women whose husbands are serving their country– and a young man who – like Privates Pike and Waker in Dad’s Army – has avoided the call-up,

The naive teenager makes for easy prey for the spivvy Pat and the innocent nun is way out of her comfort zone amid women experienced in life, love and lust.

The cast of eight actor-musicians comprises Verity Bajoria, Lauren Chinery, Georgina Field, Stacey Ghent, Rory Gradon, Sarah Groarke, Alice McKenna and Gleanne Purcell-Brown.

Their musicianship is spectacular – between them they play everything from piano to ukulele and drums to saxophone. Add to that acting talent that crafts each character into a three-dimensional individual – and you are witnessing perfection.

The lively and lavish musical play from the writer of the Beiderbecke Trilogy is filled with live swing performances of 1940s classics including Glenn Miller, The Andrews Sisters, George Formby and Fats Waller.

It has one-liners, slapstick and tickles the funny bone in wonderfully subtle ways – like a nun singing cheeky Formby lyrics without getting the double entendre.

The play also as pathos – the fear of wartime set against the good time of a good night out, the worry of not knowing how whether your husband serving abroad is alive and the sadness of parting.

In two hours – as promised by the introduction – the audience learns about love, lust, life, sex and grief. For every Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B and It’s Not What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It), there is Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye and Goodbye – ee.

Blonde Bombshells runs at the Stephen Joseph Theatre until Saturday August 26,

Tickets from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com