The worst thing to say about the production of Stepping Out by the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society is the dancing. But that?s the point. A group of eight characters sign up for a dance class with one common thread: they can?t dance.

But with the help of their teacher, ?Mavis? played by Jacqui Riordan, the group travels through the trials and tribulations to bring together an explosive, laugh-out-loud production.

Each character, from loopy, well-meaning ?Dorothy? played by Dee Edmunds to the sassy, crass ?Sylvia? played by brilliant Ingrid Pucci, brings a piece of their life to the dance studio every week.

Opening night of the sold out performance saw the characters keep the movement of the play upbeat. Some of the more personal issues revealed during the play did tend to slow down the pace.

Ms Pucci captured Sylvia?s wicked sense of humour with ease and allowed all of her cheeky comments to flow smoothly in a realistic cockney accent.

Kate Ross played grumpy piano accompaniment ?Mrs. Fraser? whose mission is to rain on all of the aspiring chorus girls? parade.

Mrs. Ross successfully pulled off all of the snippets of witty, albeit miserable, humour. She is the voice of reason but seldom brings down the students? mood throughout the play as she plunks away on the piano during rehearsal time.

While ?Maxine?, played by Fran Tucker, still dreams of her former chorus girl days, knows she is the best of the bunch. Several of her humourous lines were lost as Ms Tucker exhausted herself during her delivery.

Ms Riordan attempted to keep the glue together as the dance teacher Mavis as the dancers deal with their own personal problems and their lack of talent.

Mavis is also going through her own personal disputes and lost opportunities. Ms Riordan smoothly transitions from the put together dance teacher to one grappling with her own demons.

All of the actors successfully pulled off the montage of humourous lives including lone man Richard Fell who successfully pulled off slightly incapable ?Geoffery?, Shannon Totten as nail biting ?Lynne?, neat-freak ?Vera? played by Penny Cox, the Bermudian-inspired ?Rose? played by Tanya Weller and shy and bruised ?Andy? played by Val Butterfield-Wallbank.

The costume design team of Jeanne Legere, Gretta Petty, Gillian Nicholls, Liz Nicholls, and Julie Hastings-Smith matched the personalities of each character perfectly.

Including Sylvia in her cut off jeans and loud, tight tops and Vera in all of her spandex glory. When Vera comes on stage in a black spandex unitard with gold snaking up her thighs I couldn?t help but laugh hysterically. Vera?s costumes literally become their own character throughout the play.

The Daylesford Theatre stage creates an intimate venue for the audience who can feel as if they are part of the dance class. We are their mirror and at all times feel part of each character?s lives.

A bigger stage would have served better for the last several scenes when the dance troupe come together and show off their talents.

The lively bunch of characters never steal each other?s limelight and play off each other effortlessly. Stepping Out is a feel good story that had me laughing until I cried.