It's the overflowing eighties as Sutton Amateurs kick-off their birthday celebrations with full houses.

The final night of their latest show is already sold out and other performances could go the same way.

People from as far away as Hull, Manchester and Ashton under Lyne are buying tickets.

It's all the more pleasing for Sutton because Back to the 80s is a show few people have heard of.

On the other hand it's packed with 1980s pop songs that almost everyone has heard of.

Back to the 80s will be the first production of Sutton Amateurs' 80th anniversary year.

It was chosen after a long search for something different to build on last year's hit Summer Holiday.

Sutton chairman Bryan Blackie said Summer Holiday brought in the group's best audience of the past 20 years.

An extensive search for a follow-up found several promising shows but they were either unavailable for amateur groups or unsuitable for the group.

Then Bryan, trawling the Internet, found nostalgic American high school comedy Back to the 80s.

He said: "It was a gamble but we had to decide something pretty quick.

"It felt right because it was Back to the 80s and our 80th year, that aspect appealed to a lot of people.

"It was a bit like fate -- we'd been struggling all those months and suddenly this show was available."

Bryan said tickets had sold exceptionally well to cast members' friends and families, even before going in the shops.

Thursday's audience is boosted by members of other local theatre groups accompanying their officials to Sutton's "president's night".

Three groups are coming from further afield -- such as Hull -- because they also plan to perform the show.

Bryan is co-producing Back to the 80s with the group's president Doreen Smith, Bryan taking on a bigger role after shadowing experienced producer Doreen last year.

They are going hi-tech for the first time with slides and a dream sequence -- already filmed with the cast -- projected onto the stage.

Bryan said: "We're going to start it off with a graduation photo and the whole cast are going back in time."

Bryan said his cast had been excited by the show, especially after watching Pendle Youth Theatre's version last month.

He said: "They've been enjoying it since our first rehearsal. Even the younger ones loved it.

"The show has the sort of songs we all know."

Back to the 80s is a light-hearted High School tale of unrequited love and group rivalry shot through with references to 80s icons.

Songs include Video Killed the Radio Star, Kids in America, Footloose, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Mickey and Material Girl.

The show runs April 9-12 at 7.15pm in Sutton Village Hall. Tickets from 01535 632289 or Londis Store in Main Street, Sutton.

This week only a few tickets were left for Thursday and Friday, with more availability on Wednesday's opening night.