But more significantly a good selection of national critics seemed to be in attendance - what will they be writing in the next couple of days.

Famous faces in attendance included Sir Ian McKellen, Victoria Wood, Germaine Greer, Betty Boothroyd and a sprinkling of soap stars and TV Presenters.

So to the show. Two acts - Act 1 90 mins, Act Two 50 mins with a 20 minute interval. So allowing for a late start - all done by 10.15pm.

The stage is vast and high, the orchestra pit large (to contain a full orchestra) means the stalls are at some distance from the stage. An awful big ask for musical theatre voices used to tiny orchestras and much more compact theatres. Add to that an operatic chorus and even with the mics the sound isn't particularly well balanced.

Overall I enjoyed the show - the stark set using contruction beams and scaffolding works really well and the dark costumes livened up with bright hats and accessories look striking. The ensemble dancing is tight and choreography stunning in places. I wasn't really partial to the overall sound as the operatic chorus didn't sit well with the musical theatre voices and score.

Adam really doesn't have that much to do. He doesn't have a solo song and has small amounts of dancing here and there which are gems but no tap or big dance numbers. He gets to do some comic acting in his scens with Hildy.

The audience response was enthusiastic but not as euphoric as I have seen at other recent press nights (perhaps that's just the nature of an ENO crowd).

It will be interesting to see what the critics make of it but I'm not expecting amazing crits. But then I'm often wrong.

I will be going back at some point to take a second look though.

Here's a full synopsis of Adam's major action.

The show opens with Gaby (Aaron), Ozzie (Tim) and Chip (Adam) arriving for 24 hours shore leave in New York. Cue for "New York, New York" and a little dance routine.

The sailors hit the subway, Chip has the guidebook and is leading the tour until Gabey spots a poster of this month's Miss Turnstiles and becomes determined to find her and ask her for a date. The other boys agree to help and they split up to follow the clues on the poster agreeing to meet in Times Square that night.

Just following on Adam's scenes - Chip gets taxi-napped by Hildy a streetwise cabbie played by Caroline O'Connor . This scene involves a duet "Come up to my place" where she drives Adam around to various locations all the time trying to get him to go home with her. Short dance routine.

4 Adamless scene follow. Ozzie meets Claire and Gabey meets Ivy who agrees to meet him in Times Square later.

Chip next scene entering Hildy's apartment with shopping only to find her flatmate Lucy (who has a dreadful cold). Hildy gets rid of Lucy so they can get some privacy and then proceeds to "cook" while singing "I can cook too".

All then meet up in Times Square where there is a very short dance contest - Adam wins of course. Ivy doesn't turn up .End of Act One

Act Two starts with a succession of scenes set in different night clubs which the gang tour - all involving small amounts of dancing by Mr Garcia.

Gabey then runs off to Coney Island to find Ivy the other boys and girls follow. Scene set on the subway where Ozzie and Chip in effect say goodbye to Hildy and Claire with a song "Some other time".

At Coney Island they find Ivy but Claire's fiance gets the boys arrested and they are returned to the dockyard in handcuffs in time to join there ship. The girls turn up in the taxi to say goodbye.

The show ends with three different sailors arriving for 24 hours leave.