'Wimpy Kids' a winner

SUPERB CASTING: MAGIC IN THE PERFORMANCES

- Hein Kaiser

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Musical isn't just good. It's seriously fantastic. There's not much else to say about it, really.

Because as far as family entertainment goes, little can top this show. It's a 60-minute romp, simultaneously snackable and moreish. Because Greg Heffley comes to life, just a few metres away from young and a little bit older, fans.

The show is an hour-long, but somewhat shortened version of the 120-minute musical. But like condensed milk, it's sweet and oh so yum. Nothing's lost, but audiences have everything to gain.

Based on the 250 million selling Jeff Kinney novels, anyone who's read the books or seen some of the streaming incarnations of the stories will recognise many of Heffley's major life moments in the production.

There's the "cheese touch", weird kid Fregley and the cartoon competition with the Zoo Wee Mama dispute between best friends Rowley and Heffley.