UK Theatre Network

It's almost fifty years since Christine Keeler stepped foot into London nightclub Percy Murray's on the fateful night that she first met Stephen Ward, and initiated a series of events that would be known throughout the world and documented in texts ranging from academic studies of politics to tabloid journalism, as 'The Profumo Affair'. But even after fifty years, "efforts are still being made to prevent the true story behind these events from actually being revealed". There are still many questions and riddles...

Greenwich Theatre have in their hands what you could definitely describe as a hot potato. Politically and artistically. The story of 'The Profumo Affair' has yet to be finished, many aspects of it still being unresolved half a century later. The surface facts are relatively well-known. The story of a young girl, who comes to London to seek her fortune, meets a politician and also a spy and as a result irreparably damages the government. But there's a whole lot more to the story and that's what this show aims to address.

I'm happy to admit it, I'm a closet conspiracy theorist. I'm always sceptical about politics, and so it was with a slight trepidation that I took my seat in the theatre. Happily, from the moment the lights went down and we were introduced to Maureen O'Connor (Lorraine Bruce), the larger than life hostess of Percy Murray's, I was swept away by the river of intrigue and assignation, and on the edge of my seat throughout.

It is a fantastic cast. That needs to be said. Emma Williams ('Chitty Chitty Bang Bang') as Christine finds just the right balance of charm, sophistication, and naivety, while Dale Rapley ('Mamma Mia') portrays a very convincing Profumo. The instigator in the affair, Stephen Ward, is superbly played by James Clyde, an actor who manages to combine a great flair with a passionate honesty. And the others are just as good. Special mention though should go to Stuart Nurse and Mark Oxtoby, who are suitably 'British', playing a pleasing, if a little bumbling, array of MPs and society figures caught up in the wave of events, including Lord Astor and the Director General of MI5, Sir Roger Hollis.

For me though, the thing that really stood out about this show was the music. An eclectic mix of styles, a real melting pot of influences all stirred up into the melee of the affair. Ska tunes vying with jazz, blues and rock'n'roll in a fantastic medley. Mark Rymaszewski and Richard Alexander, the creators, are really onto a winner here. It's true to say that a little dramatic licence has been taken in certain areas, but 'A Model Girl' is both entertaining and gripping, as well as thought-provoking. The story of Christine Keeler and Jack Profumo is just as fresh today as it was in the Sixties, and I've got a feeling that this will run and run.

Catch 'A Model Girl' at The Greenwich Theatre until Saturday, 24 February. For more information visit www.amodelgirl.co.uk or www.greenwichtheatre.org