After a £20m redesign, The Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith unveiled its amazing updated building with a showing of Bugsy Malone, starring west London youth talent and directed by Olivier award-winning Sean Holmes.

After just the first few notes of the opening number, and the iconic song Fat Sam's Grand Slam, I was grinning like a maniac. The dancers and singers exploded into the theatre from the word go, and the choreography was so slick and clean, mixing '20s Charleston-style dancing with contemporary acrobatics.

The fun continued with custard-pies to the face and 'splurge guns', all set against an industrial-style stripped-back set.

Due to rules over the working hours of children, there are three rotating casts; with many of the children boasting West End CVs, everyone involved in the play blew me away with their professionalism and talent.

A stand-out performance for me was Asanda Jezile (Britain's Got Talent finalist) as Tallulah. She sang the opening number and her solo My Name Is Tallulah with the depth and tone of a woman much older than her young years, and performed with grace and style.

Asanda Jezile as Tallulah

The comic-timing of the actors was also a strong asset to the play; Jenson Steele as Fat Sam provided many hilarious moments, and his physical comedy contrasted brilliantly with some of the darker, serious moments such as character deaths, which were marked by a huge burst of a camera flash.

It was very easy to lose yourself in the hilarity of the action and the sharp choreography, to the point where both myself and my plus-one, and most of the people around us, exclaimed: "I can't believe how young they all are!" at the end.

Director of the play, Sean Holmes, said: "Bugsy Malone has young people at it's heart... The film was built on a seemingly ridiculous premise – children playing adults, but a premise that actually proved to have a crazy brilliance. Something we aspire to ourselves at the Lyric. The songs are amazing. The world inherently theatrical."

The actors, dancers and singers provided an energy and confidence that often becomes lost in adults, and the teeny size of a few of the actors (including the wonderfully sassy Emily Beacock as Lena/Baby Face) brought hilarity and the cute-factor to the scenes.

The iconic song So, You Wanna Be A Boxer?

What struck me most about the play was the clear passion and excitement for the performance that the children and young adults all possessed – their dedication and energy made for a show that I'd be happy to watch time and time again!

Executive director for the redesign of the Lyric, Jessica Hepburn, said: "Fundamentally we're about delivering activities very cheaply or free for local young people... and putting on great shows for everyone."

Bugsy Malone is definitely a great show not to miss.

Bugsy Malone is at the Lyric Hammersmith until Saturday August 1. Tickets cost from £20 and are available on the official website.