SPARE the Rod is not a saying with which the makers of this musical are acquainted.

Tonight’s the night that everything is Rod Stewart flavoured.

Do you want to hear two dozen Rod Stewart songs in one evening? Do you want to see girls in tartan mini-skirts blowing on bagpipes? Do you want to listen to Ben Elton, who doesn’t make much effort in putting a story around the songs?

Do you think I’m sexy?

Perhaps most importantly do you want to put on a sailor’s cap, thrust your arms in the air and sway along to Sailing time after time after time in the finale?

Tonight’s The Night, despite an excellent and energetic cast who give the vocals their all, will only delight admirers of Stewart and his music.

Having provided the dialogue between Queen songs in We Will Rock You, Elton attempts to do the same for Rod’s catalogue.

But this tale of a shy boy who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for Rod’s charisma (and pulling power), enjoys the hedonistic rock’n’roll lifestyle before realising where his heart really lies is a half-hearted affair.

Thank goodness for the cast led by Ben Heathcote’s Stuart, the geeky garage mechanic whose trade with the devil (a tempting Tiffany Graves) doesn’t live up to its promise. He sounds enough like Stewart in the songs to please fans but still manages to put his own personality into the character.

Jade Ewen, late of the Sugababes, is underused as Dee Dee but provides some of the most effective, quieter vocal moments while Ricky Rojas as Stoner embodies all the worst qualities of a boozedup, drugged-out rocker.

  • Until Saturday. Box office 0844-8713024 and online atgtickets.com/york