By Doreen Crowther, Showbusiness Correspondent Marlene, Oldham Coliseum. Runs until October 26. SHE is magnificent! Sian Phillips was so mesmerising that last night I felt as though I was in a time warp and the legendary Marlene Dietrich was really on stage.

Phillips seduced the audience completely and that it was difficult to decide whether they were applauding Dietrich or Phillips, the two were so intertwined.

To describe Phillips' performance in this premiere production about the glamorous Dietrich as an impersonation would be to denigrate a superbly sensitive tour de force, the like of which is rarely seen. But Phillip's appearance and voice were so like Dietrich's it was uncanny.

Author Pam Gems has chosen the simple, but effective method, of showing us Dietrich back stage before a performance in Paris and then wooing and winning an audience in concert.

This gives us the opportunity to see Dietrich the cleaning fetishist washing her dressing room floor and vacuuming the stage, haranguing her assistant, Vivian, a neat cameo by Lou Gish, and recalling her past life and loves and bitching about fellow film stars.

Thus we learn how Dietrich never stopped performing until her bedroom door closed behind her, her views on hotels, airline food, war and why she left Germany.

Whether Gems accurately reflects Dietrich's opinions does not matter. Phillips persuaded us they were true and we laughed with her and at her and sympathised as she hovered over the tranquilliser bottle as her performance time came near.

But when Phillips finally appeared in her skin-tight beaded dress and luxurious feathered coat, the time for talking was over.

Phillips showed us Dietrich's raucous side as she sang See What the Boys In The Backroom Will Have, was coquettish in Honeysuckle Rose and moved us to tears with Lily Marlene and Where Have All The Flowers Gone.

Her final song Falling In Love Again from The Blue Angel deservedly had the audience ecstatic.

Ernest Hemingway said that if Dietrich had nothing but her voice she could break your heart with it. The same could be said of Phillips.

Director Sean Mathias wisely kept things simple and allowed Phillips her head. The result is breathtaking.

This musical play is destined for the West End. Don't miss a chance to see it in Oldham first.

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