YOU’VE stuck the poster on the wall, bought the records, grown up and been to the comeback tour – and now you can go to the musical, too.

Fresh from the West End, the hit musical, Never Forget, is in Liverpool as part of a UK tour.

Given that Take That (TT) are one of the biggest bands on the planet at the moment, it’s a paradox that the fab five aren’t actually involved, nor is the musical actually about them. Written by Bafta award winner Danny Brocklehurst with his Shameless humour sprinkled throughout, Never Forget brings together five unlikely boy band contenders.

Aiming for global domination, a TT tribute band led by Gary Barlow rip-off Ash (Mark Willshire) are thrust together quite literally in their pursuit of fame, tight pants and “’avin’ it”.

Starting out looking more like Bros on a bad day, the band – like the first act – takes a while to get going with Babe.

Set somewhere between Coronation Street and High School Musical, the singing talents of Ash and his on-stage fiancee Chloe (Aimee Atkinson) carry the show to a backdrop of innuendo and jokes.

An impressive full-stage waterfall for Back For Good carries the promise of a better second half and as Adrian (Mark Owen, played by Tom Bradley) rubs deep heat down his sparkly gold jock strap pants – the second half hots up.

Ladies, it’s at this point that the men strip down to their pants and then it all goes a bit off the boil with a bizarre lap-dancing scene to Once You’ve Tasted Love.

But Relight My Fire is a visual, dancing extravaganza, showing the fully united band at their best, with dazzling performances from understudies Jake (Robbie played by Paul-Michael Jones), Harry (Howard played by Rory Locke) and Jose (Jason played by Ben Harris).

As it ends with Never Forget, with hands clapping in the air, it’s hard to forget the musical wizardry of Take That. It’s not as good as a real gig, but it comes close.

LAURA SHARPE