IF you like funk and soul music you will love the Octagon’s latest feelgood production.

Up Against The Wall tells the story of the band The Emperors of Funk, who had a hit single in the 1970s but are still treading the boards as a one hit wonder more than a decade later. Money is tight and tensions within the group are rising.

Director Paulette Randall, who co-wrote the play with Felix Cross, relies heavily on the songs to carry the story and rightly so.

AJ Lewis and Donovan Blackwood are excellent as lead singers Henry and Courtenay, while Shelley Williams, Danielle Henry and Ann-marie Roberts all possess great voices.

The dancing is testament to Paul J Medford's spot-on choreography, but special mention must also go to the fantastic live band that brought the songs to life, musical director Joseph Roberts and the incredible costumes.

The age of the Afro hair-do and the silk jumpsuit is celebrated with uplifting performances of the likes of Isaac Hayes’ Theme From Shaft, Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, Earth Wind and Fire's Boogie Wonderland, James Brown's Sex Machine and I Feel Good and Rose Royce's Car Wash. Who would have thought a song about washing your car could mean so much to so many?

There is a great scene in which Henry, lovestruck by new backing singer Gloria, pretends to be dead, and some minor sadness as the girls win a place on a big tour but the promoters don’t want the boys, who end up playing gigs in half-empty pubs. Of course, it all comes right in the end, as it always does in musicals.

If you like your theatre to have depth and meaning, beware, as the storyline here is about as deep as the River Croal, but if you want to keep the funk alive and fancy leaving the theatre with a smile on your face then this is definitely the show for you.

The production runs until February 28. Tickets are available from 01204 520661 or log on to octagonbolton.co.uk