I should perhaps start this review by heartily commending Abergavenny Light Opera Company for returning to the confines of its remit and bringing operetta back to the stage of the Borough Theatre with this production of Novello's swansong, King's Rhapsody.

As always that ALOC's cast can produce a fine sound is never in doubt and when combined with some of Novello's finest melodies such as Some Day my Heart will Awake, Fly Home Little Heart, The Mayor of Perpignan and Take Your Girl musical delights are pretty much guaranteed and for most part produced.

Sadly, that's pretty much where the praise ends for this creaky, clunky, laboured and over long production was more Ivor the Engine than Ivor Novello, failing at every turn to capture the glamour and elegance of the master musician's light and delicate touch.

To fully understand King's Rhapsody, it has to be considered in the background against which it was written.

It was 1949, musical theatre as Novello knew it was about to disappear, swept away on the tide of shows from the other side of the Atlantic and the Abdication crisis of the late 30s was still fresh in the minds of audiences.

Against this background Novello set his own Ruritanian fantasy of a prince, his mistress, his more popular, manipulative and far younger bride and a corrupt and power hungry prime minister ...whoever said Novello was dated?

So, with some all too familiar themes to explore, it seems that King's Rhapsody is set for a revival and yet after three and a half hours the only thing in need of revival was the audience.

Great set pieces like King's Rhapsody need tight direction in order to capture the archness and elegance of the script, which like Novello's music was firmly set at least a decade earlier and this was never in evidence.

In the central role Stephen Clark worked hard to keep the action flowing, but despite his best efforts failed to capture the essential essence of Novello - who famously played the role himself until it killed him!

Ann Collins likewise worked hard but struggled with the acting demands, although as always her soaring voice was her redemption

In the two senior female roles - Countess Vera Lemaniken and Queen Elana, Liz O'Brien and Linda Evans were sound, but largely failed to fully inhabit their characters - especially in the case of the Queen, whose complete lack of scruples make her a delight for a character actress.

Liz O'Brien's voice - as always - shone through and I thought the beautiful trio The Gates of Paradise in which she was joined by Ann Collins and Mike Holland was the undoubted highlight of the evening, although she sadly disappointed performance-wise in the wonderful Take Your Girl.

As the ever faithful mistress Marta Karillos Deborah Harrington was suitably - or unsuitably - regal, while Mike Holland and Colin Lewis offered sound, if not dynamic support as Vanescu and Stanieff.

Other supporting roles were played by John Games as King Peter - who rather confusingly turned up later in the performance as a butler making the plot even more indecipherable- Nia Hawyes and Sian Harrington as the princesses, Jenny Morrison as Miss Trontzen and Susanne Meates as Olga.

A lovely cameo was also provided by young Ben Livenstone as the young King Paul, whose emotional reunion with his estranged father was a finale tear jerker.

That this production could provide such an emotional moment was testament to what could have been achieved had it lived up to its potential, which sadly it failed to do at every turn.

King's Rhapsody may be a creaky old dinosaur but given a light directorial touch, a hint of camp and a sharp injection of enthusiasm it could have new life breathed into it...maybe by the end of the week this show may have settled into a more comfortable position, but I fear it may take more than time to make it memorable for any of the right reasons - let's face it, any production where the King has to usher on to stage the revolting peasants set on taking his throne and poking his mistress to death with big sticks is doomed to failure!