WHEN West Side Story first opened in 1957 it shocked the Broadway audiences who had never before been subjected to such matter in the theatre.

Yet the gritty realism of gang warfare, segregation within the community and murder stood the test of time and indeed with current events this reworking of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is more relevant today than ever.

Sticking close to Jerome Robbins' original the current run is a powerful production with energetic dance scenes and songs that have since become classics.

Although they may have been fearful in the 50s the two gangs -- the Jets and the Sharks -- somehow had a comic-book feel to them. The archetypal good old American Jets, with their "Buddy-Boy" language and the smooth Puerto Ricans that make up the Sharks, donned head to toe in black.

Steven-John Tokaya put in a good performance as Shark's leader Bernardo, whose sister Maria, played convincingly by Celia Graham, was the main love interest. Norman Bowman's Tony, the Jet that falls in love with Maria, was weak in the first half but after the interval came into his own in his doomed attempt to put an end to the feuding. It all ends in tears of course. Bernardo stabs Tony's Jet "brother" Riff, Tony stabs Bernardo and everyone wants to kill Tony.

When that moment came however -- the climax to the whole story -- the unexpected bang from the gun proved a fright for the whole audience causing bursts of laughter. If any a scene was not meant to provoke laughter this was it so be prepared!

JAMIE DIFFLEY