Since his first appearance in an American pulp magazine in 1919, Zorro has starred in numerous books and movies — not least 1981’s Zorro, the Gay Blade, with his homosexual twin brother, Ramon, alias Bunny Wigglesworth of the Royal Navy. His latest West End musical incarnation is, wisely, no more serious, and often reminds you of a superior panto.

Based on the children’s book by Isabel Allende, who is one of the show’s producers — and clearly a wily businesswoman as well as a world-class writer — it retains the wit and narrative zest of her fiction. Set in Mexican-ruled California in 1805, it has Adam Levy as the wicked Ramon, Emma Williams as Luisa, the damsel in distress, and Matt Rawle as a dashing, athletic Don Diego de la Vega, alias El Zorro, the fox. The masked avenger is helped in his battle to fight injustice and save the oppressed by a troupe of Spanish gypsies. In a show that is otherwise about as authentically Hispanic as a kiss-me-quick sombrero from Torremolinos, these classically trained, flamenco-dancing gitanos provide genuine Spanish fire and blood. Combined with the marvellous music of the Gipsy Kings, including their classic hits Bamboleo, Baila Me and Djobi Djoba, this makes for a furiously percussive and visually ravishing spectacle, all haughty head-tossing, hand-clapping, skirt-flailing, heel-stamping and Moorish-Romany wailing. Queen of the gypsies is Inez, played with tremendous relish by Lesli Margherita, a sultry, flashing-eyed, flame-haired spitfire; and waddling everywhere after her is poor old Sergeant Garcia (Nick Cavaliere), fat, cowardly and hopelessly besotted.

Add in plenty of swinging around on ropes, some excellent sword fights, real flames and a couple of jaw-dropping stage illusions, and you have a tequila slammer of a musical. Viva el Zorro!

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