A musical harking back to the sights and sounds of the 1980s is in Cornwall - and it's happening NOW. 

NOW That's What I Call A Musical is making its Cornish debut in Truro this week at the Hall for Cornwall, running until this Saturday (November 9).

The show, which promises great songs, a funny and heart-warming story, colourful costumes, electrifying dance routines, and guest appearances by iconic pop stars, is part of a UK and Ireland tour which started in September.

Director and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, known for his role as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, says the show is a celebration of 40 years of the iconic NOW That's What I Call Music compilations brand.

He said: "The 80s was a great time for pop and music in general helps people through lots of emotional journeys in their lives, especially with teenagers because their hormones are running riot.

"The NOW albums were a big part of the leading characters' teenage years."

The story is set in Birmingham and centres around school friends Gemma and April in 1989, whose lives revolve around pop music.

It then jumps forward to 2009 when they are facing a school reunion full of drama, old flames, and receding hairlines.

Mr Revel Horwood explained: "There's something in it for absolutely everyone, and I think teenagers will associate with the two girls - how they're living their lives, their hopes and their dreams, and their aspirations - as much as adults will.

"Those are themes that are universal."

The script was written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans.

Mr Revel Horwood added: "She's got a really great sense of humour and she's a fantastic writer, not to mention a fantastic comic writer.

"She's come up with some great twists in the tale."

For actress Nina Wadia, who stars as Gemma, this is her first-ever venture into musical theatre.

She admitted: "I'm genuinely terrified.

"But I love challenges in my career and I've tried every genre, I think, thus far apart from musicals.

"So I thought 'Why not?'"

Having grown up in Hong Kong, one of Ms Wadia's fondest memories from the 80s is listening to NOW tapes on her Walkman.

Ms Wadia said: "Those songs were the soundtrack to my life.

"If you fell in love you really fell in love and if you hurt, you really hurt.

"I remember everything being so dramatic in my teenage years."

The show will also see guest stars including Sinitta, Sonia, Carol Decker, and Jay Osmond appear at various venues throughout the tour, playing themselves as they magically manifest to give the characters wisdom and advice as well as to sing some of their greatest hits.

Sinitta will be the first of the big-name guests to take to the stage.

The singer said: "The NOW albums were a big part of my time there.

"We'd put our pocket money together to buy them, then at the weekend we had our own little discotheque in the common room."

The tour kicked off in Aylesbury and will visit venues across the UK and Ireland, including Sheffield, Canterbury, Nottingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Belfast, and Woking.