Tim Flavin is a busy man. Not only is he directing and choreographing Dames At Sea but also starring in one of the main roles.

"Insane might be a more appropriate description," he says, while taking a short break between rehearsals.

"Though I do have the advantage that I've directed the play twice before, so I know the piece really well."

The musical follows the story of Ruby, a young dancer who arrives on Broadway to find fame and fortune.

She gains a place in the chorus line for a musical but her dreams are threatened when it is discovered the theatre is to be demolished - on opening night. In true "show must go on" fashion the production jumps ship, quite literally, to a US Navy battleship.

"The show is a pastiche of the old Busby Berkeley musicals of the Thirties, such as 42nd Street. It's not a send up, or a piss-take, but an imitation in a loving way," says Tim. "What's so charming about those old musicals is that they seem cod and very dated. But what comes across is an honesty and sense of truthfulness. So we try to recreate that feel with attention to detail.

"It's a very well written piece and very evocative of that period. Each one of the tunes has you thinking, where have I heard that before?'."

For this production Tim has rounded up a cracking cast from the West End including performers from Chicago, Evita and Trevor Nunn's Oklahoma!

"I've cast it really well, if I do say so myself," he laughs.

Regarding the challenge of multitasking as director, choreographer and performer Tim says: "It's labour intensive for two weeks and then I can relax back into the role I like best - being a song and dance man."

Starts at 7.45pm, Weds and Sat mats 2.30pm, no performance Sun, £11-£18, 01323 412000.

The Argus has five pairs of tickets to give away for the Tuesday August 15 performance of Dames At Sea. The first five readers to e-mail aimee.turner@eastbourne.gov.uk will each win a pair.