In October, several media outlets reported the story of a woman being ejected from a performance of The Bodyguard for singing obnoxiously and disturbing the show. Perhaps she should take a trip to the Arts Theatre for The Blues Brothers Xmas Special, where singing along is very much encouraged.

Hartshorn-Hook Productions’ live Blues Brothers tribute show has been raking in the stars in the West End, at the Lowry Centre and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for several years. Their “briefcase full of festive cheer” is only fully opened in the final section of the show, when we sing along merrily to some Christmassy tunes, but the rest of the show is full enough of classic Blues Brothers numbers – including some new material – to keep the atmosphere cheery and fun throughout.

Of the eponymous brothers, David Kristopher-Brown as Jake has the stronger vocals, the growl in his voice effectively recreating the vintage rhythm and blues vibe of the show. Yet it’s Joshua Mumby as Elwood who has the biggest stage presence, performing his impressive dance moves with gusto and humour. Both performers have heaps of energy as they perform number after number, throwing themselves around the stage with plenty of enthusiasm. The structure of the show hasn’t changed an awful lot since I first saw it back at the Fringe in 2013, and some of the comedy moments feel a little tired; however, much of the cheesiness is offset by the show having its tongue firmly in cheek, as shown in numbers such as ‘Stand By Your Man’ and ‘King Bee’.

Joining Kristopher-Brown and Mumby on stage for some musical numbers, Simon Ray-Harvey is consistently strong in performances that range from Ray Charles to gospel, to crowd-pleaser ‘Minnie the Moocher’, and his powerful vocals are complemented by some smooth moves. As backing trio the Stax Sisters, Sasi Strallen appears rather weak on stage when between more natural movers and singers T’Shan Williams and Hannah Kee. It’s nice to see the women taking control in some numbers such as ‘Think’ and ‘Respect’ – as at first it seems they may be confined to being eye candy in the background – and Williams in particular shines in her solo passages. The choreography and its execution, however, could do with more polish to add a bit more slickness to the show.

The band are on top form and musical director James Robert Ball is irrepressibly enthusiastic as he himself dances through the score with obvious enjoyment. However, it’s disappointing that issues in sound balance meant the performers’ lyrics were often overpowered by the band – even from four rows back in this relatively small theatre – and therefore lost their humour.

This production is a little rough around the edges, something which I may have forgive more readily at the Edinburgh Fringe than here in the West End. However, perhaps too much polishing would take away some of its charm. If you’re not into blues music, this might be one to avoid; but if the music grabs you and you’re after an alternative to a Christmas panto or big-bucks musical, The Blues Brothers Xmas Special is certainly an entertaining and energetic evening out. Prepare to shake your tail feathers and do the twist, as you’ll be dancing in the aisles by the end of the night.

The Blues Brothers Xmas Special is playing at the Arts Theatre until 10 January 2016. For more information and tickets, see the Arts Theatre website. Photo by Piers Foley Photography.