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More bad luck hit this theatre when the star of the American frontier dance musical had to miss opening night due to a throat infection.

The audience of one of a performance of the theatre’s Christmas show, Ghost, had to be sent home after suffered technical faults couldn’t be corrected, and this time the jinx hit the cast.

Sam Attwater, who is currently starring in ITV’s Dancing on Ice, was forced to drop out.

But one man’s misfortune proved another’s good luck when understudy Alex Hammond, who is from Birmingham, stepped up from his lesser role as one of the townspeople to play the lead.

Hammond was excellent as tough backwoodsman Adam Pontipee, striding the stage with great confidence and singing the big numbers, like Bless Your Beautiful Hide and Love never Goes Away, superbly.

He proved the ideal partner for the impressive Helena Blackman, playing Milly, who agrees to a quickie marriage to Pontipee after he omits to tell her she will be looking after her new husband and his six uncouth brothers in their untidy mountain home.

However, she soon tames the dirty half-dozen, teaches them how to dance and impress the opposite sex, and they join some of the young men and girls in the local town in some brilliantly choreographed numbers.

There is a real feel good factor about this delightful musical which sends you home humming songs like Wonderful Wonderful Day, Goin’ Courtin’ and Glad That You Were Born.