Big hair, big dreams, and jean jackets. A story of two star-crossed lovers and their rock’n’roll romance, told through the medium of power ballads, dance, and genital jokes, with some Def Leppard, Journey, Bon Jovi, Poison, and Whitesnake thrown in for good measure.

Set in the late 1980s, Rock of Ages tells the story of Drew, just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit...no, seriously, and a lonely small town girl, Sherrie, who actually does take a midnight train at one point.

The pair move to L.A. to chase their dreams; him, rocking out, and her, acting. Finding each other early on, falling in love and then falling out, there’s no prizes for guessing what happens in the end. Oh, but only and after a whole heap of obstacles of course.

Clichés and cheesy '80s culture references aside, and that’s tough seeing as it’s more than half the show, Rock of Ages is your typical L.A. dream story, and it knows it. Reaching almost panto-levels of crowd interaction at times, this doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The narrator, who is also pretty prominent character in the story, is the link between those on stage on those in the seats, not that his job is overly tiresome. Getting a crowd to clap and sing along to a show like this is about as difficult as getting a crowd to buy the tickets.

All but sold out in its first night, just having people there guarantees an atmosphere you’re not likely to find at any other musicals. But with a score of 30-odd hits from the time of hair-metal and glam-rock, it’s not hard to see why.

Looking to Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You for inspiration, basing a show off of well-known classics was an easy way to produce an enjoyable show. Even those with a heart of stone would find themselves singing along to those classic rock hits, but thankfully this is no one trick pony.

Singing and dancing aside, both of which are performed brilliantly by the British ensemble of actors, the show is clever, funny, at times camp, and not afraid to make fun of itself. A comedy-musical that’s more likely to leave eyes wet from laughter than crying, and tug on memories than heart-strings, Rock of Ages will leave you wondering whether you were at a theatre at all.

Running daily until Saturday, tickets are available at Ticketmaster.ie.