Passers-by might not have noticed it, but the elegant "women" posing for photos at the Royal Pavilion were anything but they seemed.

The Ladyboys of Bangkok act like women, sound like women and look like women - the odd glimpse of a telltale Adam's apple apart, that is.

They manage to spend hours on the simple tasks of applying make-up and getting dressed, like (many) women.

But, brother (or sister), these ain't women. At least, not as we know them.

And therein lies the quirk which organisers of a bizarre, unique new Brighton show hope will haul in the crowds.

The LadyBoys Of Bangkok is the name of the cabaret extravaganza which starts a six-week run tonight in an elaborate marquee pitched in the Victoria Gardens, Grand Parade, Brighton.

The 16 "female" performers starring in the song-and-dance spectacle were all born as boys, before deciding to follow the accepted Thai tradition of living the "ladyboy" life.

Combining male physiognomy with dominantly female traits, they devote themselves to living openly, and often performing, as women.

This may involve plumping for expensive hormone treatment, breast implants or sex-change surgery but not necessarily.

Many ladyboys simply dress themselves up as beautifully and femininely as they can.

But what may be a normal aspect of Thai culture is likely to be a bit of a shock for many Britons, particularly British males.

Organisers of the Brighton show are counting on curiosity about ladyboys attracting people to what they insist is a simple evening of good fun cabaret.

Many male audience members, though, apparently insist on keeping up a macho posture, refusing to admit they find the ladyboys attractive in the least.

Whether haunted by the famous transsexual scene in the film The Crying Game, or struggling to admit these specimens are more than your run-of-the-mill drag queens, it is easy to identify with Alan Partridge.

Hove-based comic Steve Coogan's character tried to explain away his reluctant obsession with Thai ladyboys by blustering: "I don't find them attractive - it's just confusing."

The 50-strong crew responsible for staging the show still get the same pleasure from monitoring the diverse reactions of their audiences.

Publicist Tony Wilkie-Miller said: "At first people just tend to sit in stunned silence. You look at these people on stage and think, 'They can't all be men.'

"Then, as a male, you start thinking, 'How should I respond? Should I really be fancying these girls?'

"Then you get to the stage of deciding, 'I can't be bothered arguing with myself, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy it.'"

The hot topic of conversation at the interval is always women asking men whether they fancy the ladyboys.

"Some men still keep up that male reserve.

"They may not feel threatened perhaps, but uncomfortable. My cousin, an ex-police officer, saw the show and is adamant he wouldn't again.

"His wife and children love it, though."

Western hang-ups about accepting or admiring transsexuals are apparently not shared in the Far East.

The ladyboys who spoke to The Argus yesterday insisted their decisions to indulge their feminine sides were warmly accepted by family and friends.

Farida, 27, who appears in Kylie Minogue attire for Can't Get You Out Of My Head, said she knew she wanted to be a ladyboy aged three.

She said: "I am happy with who I am. I like to make myself look beautiful.

"My parents always accepted me living my life like this, though it is expensive to have the treatment."

Lee, 28, first embraced the ladyboy lifestyle aged 13 and has been performing for seven years.

She said: "I openly told my friends I wanted to be a ladyboy. Everyone accepts it."

One of the oldest performers on the tour is 43-year-old Maya, who has been a performer for 30 years.

She said: "First of all I was a singer. I enjoy dressing up and wearing make-up for the shows but I don't wear so much in normal life."

Ladyboys have been performing across Thailand for centuries, though the custom gained a new lease of life in the Seventies with the advent of disco.

This show features performers dancing to a mix of traditional Thai songs and party favourites such as I Will Survive, My Way and a climactic Abba medley.

Phillip Gandey, director of show organisers Phillip Gandey World Class Entertainment, reluctantly visited a ladyboy show during a stopover in Bangkok five years ago.

He was so amazed at the professionalism of the performers and the sheer verve and excitement of the show, he decided to export it to Britain.

His firm found it difficult to win work permits and approval from the Thai authorities when first bringing the performers to Britain.

Delegates from Thailand visited several of the early performances in Edinburgh to check the show was not denigrating the culture.

Many of the performers were also subjected to embarrassing strip-searches when first leaving their home country, such was the suspicion aroused by the venture.

However, for the past five years, the show has played successfully in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. This is its first visit to Brighton.

Each show takes three months to prepare, involves 200 costumes and costs about £120,000 to stage.

The organisers insist there is nothing sordid about the show, eager to distance it from the notoriously seamier side of Thai nightlife.

Mr Wilkie-Miller said: "At some places we have visited, a few people have sniped at the show without seeing it, assuming anything to do with ladyboys must be seedy or a sex show.

"But nothing on that stage will offend. Most people who come along just have a great night out and come back again and again.

"It's excellent entertainment, 16 of the world's most beautiful women, who just happen to be men."

For a vocation which depends so heavily on the cultivation and display of beauty, one nagging question remains: what happens to ladyboys when they grow old?

Mr Wilkie-Miller said he had wondered the same thing but had been told old ladyboys often formed their own, supportive communities, following such trades as handicrafts or managing bars and theatres.

Farida wants to open a beauty salon once her performing days are over.

She has certainly had plenty of appropriate training.

Mr Gandey said: "You may think your wife or your girlfriend takes a long time getting dressed - you've never seen a ladyboy.

"They take at least ten times as long."

The show runs nightly until June 15. For tickets or more details, call 01273 709709 or 01260 288694, or visit www.ladyboysofbangkok.co.uk.