IMPOSSIBLY cool and beloved by millions, Back to the Future has become synonymous with the 80s and is wrapped in nostalgia.

The heartwarming time travel caper also made icons out of its two leads, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, and spawned two sequels.

Recreating a cult classic was never going to be easy but lightning has struck twice at Hill Valley, California, with this jaw-dropping musical adaptation which creators Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale have been heavily involved with.

The production – directed by John Rando and produced by Colin Ingram – is currently enjoying its world premiere at Manchester Opera House.

Knutsford Guardian:

And, at the press night on Wednesday, a full house of almost 2,000 showed their obvious affection for the characters and story – bursting into applause when the musical had barely begun.

Blazing a similar DeLorean-scorched path to the time-travelling original, Bat Out of Hell's Olly Dobson plays Marty McFly, the rock and roll teenager whose best friend happens to be the brilliant but slightly mad inventor Doc Brown (Roger Bart).

When the Doc shows off his latest creation – a time machine on four wheels – Marty is accidentally transported back to 1955 and is stranded 30 years away from his own era.

It gets worse when he disrupts the order of things and must ensure his high school-aged parents still fall in love in order to save his own existence.

Featuring new songs by Alan Silvestri, who did the music for the film, as well as the classics like Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode, Back to the Future the Musical is a real love letter to the original.

Bob Gale described the production's purpose as 'giving the world more Back to the Future without compromising the legacy of the movies' and that sums it up perfectly. Fans will be truly satisfied.

Knutsford Guardian:

Olly Dobson, who first saw Back to the Future when he was nine, channels his inner Michael J. Fox down to the accent, mannerisms and swagger. Big shoes to fill but he was such a natural.

There was an even bigger roar of approval for Roger Bart as Doc who brought a zany wide-eyed energy and new level of eccentricity to the role made famous by Christopher Lloyd.

Some of his scene-stealing segments beautifully toyed with the conventions of musical theatre with various tongue-in-cheek moments.

Olly and Roger were supported by a fantastic cast with Hugh Coles and Rosanna Hyland standing out as Marty's parents as well as Aidan Cutler as bullish Biff and Cedric Neal as the cheery optimist Goldie Wilson. It was also great to see Birchwood's own Oliver Ormson in a variety of roles in the featured ensemble.

The way the sets – everything from an 80s sci-fi aesthetic to 50s suburbia – transitioned from one scene to the next was spectacular too.

But the breathtaking DeLorean time travel action sequences took the show to another level. An astonishing range of physical and visual effects made it seamlessly look like the car was travelling at 88mph on the stage.

Knutsford Guardian:

The musical version was also a reminder how strong Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's original story is and how well all the elements fit together – the production simply accentuates all the funny and heartwarming bits about defining your own future as well as adding its own spin.

Robert, Bob and Alan Silvestri appearing for a bow at the end of the show was then the icing on the cake.

Now where's my flux capacitor?

Back to the Future is at Manchester Opera House until May 17. Visit atgtickets.com/shows/back-to-the-future-the-musical/opera-house-manchester