BRISTOL Hippodrome’s newest hit exploded onto stage last night in a shower of technicolor flamboyance that forced the crowd to their feet in a standing ovation.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a rousing tale of love, lies and deceit - but mainly the latter.

In the modern adaptation of Frank Oz‘s 1988 comedy, Michael Praed – whose bragging rights include The Tempest and Robin Hood of Sherwood - plays suave conman Lawrence Jameson, who spends each summer “season” swindling women of their fortunes.

His favourite, but by no means his only, ploy is to play the impoverished king of a spurious country, desperate for cash to regain his throne. He is, he tells the ground, only giving the women in his French Riviera hunting ground what they want.

His ruse is helped along by local police chief Andre Thibault – played by Gary Wilmot – whose contacts and back-handers keep Lawrence in a life of luxury.

But the fictional king’s life is turned upside-down when ill-mannered Freddy Benson - played by Noel Sullivan; Rock of Ages and Gavin and Stacey – rolls into town, intent on running his own low-rent scams.

The pair, somewhat predictably, strike up an uneasy friendship, with Lawrence agreeing to show him the ropes of the gentleman trickster.

By the time the two meet the musical’s third protagonist, the chorus has already changed outfits 1,000 times, performing roof-raising renditions of a number of well-crafted songs, belted out by a fabulous orchestra.

While David Yazbek’s music and lyrics drives the production along, it is Jeffrey Lane’s well-written, and often adult-only, jokes that provide the fuel, putting parts of the crowd into rapturous laughter.

Enter Christine Colgate – played by Carley Stenson; Spamalot and Shrek – the daughter of a rich soap magnate who the men compete to swindle out of £50,000.

Freddy thinks he has the scam in the bag, billing himself as a crippled Sergeant who desperately needs money for a doctor's treatment so he can walk again.

But the canvas takes on its full hue when Lawrence appears - playing the very doctor Freddy claims he needs to see.

Their shameless attempts are par for the course in the second half, with a sucker-punch plot twist lined up that only the seasoned theatre-goers were expecting.

The musical makes great use of the fourth wall, with Michael Praed leaning over to the conductor and asking “did I miss a scene?”

A wonderful play, with an equal measures of songs and humour, Dirty Rotten Scoundels is well worth the trip.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be on the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday, October 10. To find out more go to http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome.