The composition itself is by no means flawless: the three protagonists' 24 hour dash around New York results in a somewhat dodgy structure, and a few of the numbers could be discarded to shorten the running time. Jude Kelly's production also loses sight of the city it tries to evoke among the composition's plethora of settings and scenic transitions.

There is much to enjoy, however. At the end of Act One, the street setting is a masterpiece of stagecraft, with loveless whores, intimate couples and weary waiters drifting silently through the murky, purple-hued night as Gabey's heart is broken, centre-stage. And it is such moments of visual subtlety that remain in the mind. The Act Two quartet Some Other Time, delivered in an empty, sparsely lit metro carriage, was as moving as anything I have seen on a London stage this year. It is the constantly roaming metal planks, flashing cabaret lights and fluorescent balloons that distract. They often undermine, not add to, the director's dark and gritty vision of the city.

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The main pleasure on Monday evening came from the performances, and this was most certainly the ladies' night. Brunhilde, the batty, sex-starved taxi driver determined to find love with her final fare, was played outstandingly by Caroline O'Connor. The woman can not only fling out the most dynamite phrases, but she can do so while careering around the Coliseum stage in her madcap vehicle or concocting luxurious layered sponge cakes with the click of a finger. And in splendid voice was Lucy Schaufer as Claire de Loone, who transformed in one ditty from geeky archaeologist to sexy boy's-dream in pink knickers. Even Helen Anker's adorable Ivy - the postcard beauty of Gabey's dreams - paled in comparison.

The three sailors - Ryan Molloy, Sean Palmer and Joshua Dallas - characterised every bit as imaginatively, though none could muster many vocal thrills (Lonely Town in particular suffered from the uneven line of a non-operatically trained voice). But Andrew Shore was an outstandingly acted and resonantly sung Judge Pitkin, June Whitfield an uproarious, always sozzled Madame Dilly, the best teacher on this side of the corridor and Janine Duvitski an unexpected treat as the blousy, phlegm-filled best friend. And to cap it all off, the house orchestra under Simon Lee swerved, bounced and cantered through every sensuous saxophone swoop, every careering trombone line and every percussion loop of Bernstein's exuberent score as though they were born to do so.

The performance often felt every bit as colourful as those balloons, as sweet as those sponge cakes and as inviting as those knickers. It is just what the troubled ENO needs.

To read out theatre reviewer's review of the show click here

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