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Oklahoma! Theatre Royal, York, to May 20.

THERE are no shows like the old shows.

Oklahoma! was the first of the great Rodgers & Hammerstein collaborations.

Paul Laidlaw’s production for York Musical Theatre, in which he doubles as conductor and choreographer, eventually captures all the down-home nostalgia of the good old days with gusto.

It is slow to get going. We know that Curly and Laurey are heading for each other’s arms, but there is little warmth between them. Partly, too, the opening décor is rather washed-out.

The return of Sam Coulson’s sparky Will from Kansas City lifts everyone’s spirits, the morning turns out beautiful after all, and thereafter the show never looks back.

Laurey and her friends combine spectacularly well. Many A New Day gives her new life, but in purely musical terms

Out Of My Dreams is the highlight, and is beautifully sung.

It leads straight into a riveting dream/nightmare sequence which proves the company’s balletic prowess hands down.

The country hoe-down at the start of act two is a cracker. Even if some of the American accents are inconsistent, the agricultural lingo is neatly sustained – we are truly in folk operetta territory.

There is genuine tension in the auction, and even more in the fight that provides the sting in the tail. Both are seriously difficult to stage.

John Haigh’s Curly has a good physical presence and plenty of potential. We could overlook his rather unvarying baritone if he smiled more.

Bethan Jones offers a cute, Alice In Wonderland type of Laurey, who would impose herself if she remembered her audience.

Both could take a leaf out of Ado Annie’s book. Anna Mitchelson suits the role to a tee, with charm to burn and keen to share it. She and Coulson’s Will are a happy pair.

Rob Winlow makes an amusing pedlar of Ali Hakim, even if his accent is more Prussian than Persian.

Chris Hagyard commendably tackles the tricky role of anti-hero Jud head on.

Over them all presides Moira Murphy’s motherly Aunt Eller, the soul of reassurance.

Clearly benefiting from some new blood, the chorus looks and sounds spry throughout.

With the ten-piece band in equally fine fettle, this Oklahoma! is considerably more than okay – an old corker.

Martin Dreyer