If you're looking to see the tale of a good girl gone bad, Chicago is not the show for you.

Because they're all bad - rotten, in fact, to the core. Killers, cheaters and liars, in it for everything they can get...for themselves.

Chicago is the story of bad girl made worse, Roxie Hart, who shoots her lover in cold blood, and her attempts to evade justice with the help of manipulating lawyer, Billy Flynn.

Summing up this dynamic perfectly was one of the two stand-out tracks on opening night at The Marlowe, Canterbury, on Monday - We Both Reached For The Gun.

It sees Billy -

played by former EastEnder John Partridge

- as ventriloquist to Hayley Tamaddon's Roxie dummy, dictating a new version of the truth.

The former Emmerdale and Coronation Street actress's character is complicit in her money-grabbing legal man's ploy to fool jurors - and when he moves on to new headline-grabbing clients, she introduces some questionable tactics herself.

Bringing up the soap star tally is Jessie Wallace, as cellblock matron, Mama Morton, whose When You're Good To Mama rendition sums up perfectly her self-serving relationship with the clientele.

Despite the celebrity cast, the performer of the night was someone else - Sophie Carmen-Jones, as Velma Kelly, another killer on the cusp of criminal celebrity.

And in stark contrast to her character who sees jailmate Roxie stealing the limelight, Sophie Carmen-Jones was flawless, endearing and a star.

The award for the other stand-out track has to go to the Cell Block Tango, performed by Velma and the rest of the girls as they maintain their innocence with slightly skewed logic.

It's a stellar line-up, but what's impressive is they effortlessly make the unlikeable, likeable.

You find yourself almost rooting for the underdog - a very British past time, but an effective ploy nonetheless. You want them to wriggle out of justice, walk out of court with a full pardon and make it to the bright lights of Broadway.

Chicago, based on a fascinating tale in the 1920s, is America essentially poking fun at itself with greed, underhand deals and a good dose of Razzle Dazzle to keep the show on the road.

There's humour too, mostly at the expense of Roxie's long-suffering husband, Amos Hart, played by Neil Ditt, who gives a charming performance of Mister Cellophane.

If you're seeing the sell-out show at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, you're in for a toe-tapping treat - and all that jazz.

Chicago is a sell out at the Marlowe until Saturday, October 29.