AH, the Eighties, a fantastic time in which to float back down the river of memories and rediscover the happiest of days.

Ok, yes, it was Thatcher’s Britain, we had four million unemployed, we were at war with Argentina, and we had to endure the hype surrounding the Royal Wedding (with a fair idea that Charles and Diana wouldn’t go the distance). And let’s not forget the shoulder pads and hair bigger than dole queues.

But the beauty of nostalgia allows us to recollect only the best of days. And for most of us, happy times are most easily remembered via music.

The music of the Eighties – or rather the big chunky guitar chords and screaming riffs part of it – is celebrated in Rock of Ages. The jukebox musical tells of small-town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet in the Sunset Strip in Hollywood while pursuing their dreams.

This romance provides the fun – and sexiness - in the storyline, which sees narrator Lonny and his nightclub boss Dennis, the owner of The Bourbon Room, try to come up with a plan to stop their venue from closing.

The enemy are the German developers who want to demolish the joint. But a plan is hatched, whereby hit band Arsenal are invited back to play their last gig before lead singer Stacee goes solo.

Now, this plot line may sound a little familiar, indeed it’s been running since the days of Cliff’s Espresso Bongo, but that doesn't mean it doesn’t work.

Dennis Dupree is played by former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy, who starred as the bin man with a bad haircut who progressed to supermarket manager - with a slightly improved barnet. Kennedy explains why the show has been cleaning up since its conception in 2006. “I think it’s a lot raunchier and a lot sexier than other jukebox musicals,” he argues. “It’s better put together, it is a lot more developed, and stronger. And it’s just loads of fun.”

The musical features a host of foot-stomping, hair-shaking screaming rock songs of the period that are screaming to be heard by anyone who ever wore a leather waistcoat and wrist band.

The show features over 25 songs including We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Here I Go Again and Can’t Fight This Feeling and I Want to Know What Love Is.

And Kevin Kennedy has the perfect blend of acting and musical experience to bring to his role. He played in rock band Paris Valentinos with Johnny Marr of the Smiths, with whom he grew up on the same council estate in Manchester.

Since leaving Coronation Street he has gone on to appear in stage musicals Chicago, Chitty and The Commitments. “My two passions are music and acting, and to put these two together is such a joy.”

Rock of Ages however is altogether more anarchic than most musicals. Its tongue is wedged in cheek tighter than Jon Bon Jovi’s leather trousers. It breaks the fourth wall convention.

And it likes to underscore elements of debauchery. Isn’t that the nostalgic element we most like to remember?

Rock of Ages, The King’s Theatre, Glasgow, August 30 – September 3.

Don’t miss: Two tales of Glasgow criminality are on offer at Websters Theatre on September 9. A Robbery at 1.46AM reveals a relationship develops between Matt, a clerk at a local petrol station and a would-be robber while they wait for the police to arrive.

The second part of the double bill features Bedsit, in which a criminal on the run from his own gang is forced to hide out with his girlfriend in her tiny flat. Will their relationship survive?

WE’VE watched women’s football hit the back of the net in terms of audience appreciation and profile in the recent months. But what of those who played the game at a time before TV was interested, indeed a time when the players were often derided?

Lorna Martin’s Rose is being revisited, telling the story of Rose Reilly, the 17-year-old from Ayrshire who kicked against sexism at school to play with the boys and go on to become a professional player.

Yet, Reilly was continually playing into the powerful wind of reproval. Women’s football was banned in Scotland. And so, the teenager left her home and family to play at first in France and then in Italy.

Reilly went on to play with the Italian national side, helping them to win the Mundialito Femminile, the precursor to the Women’s World Cup and was voted the best female footballer in the world.

Reilly is played gloriously by Christina Strachan, who gives her character the weight, precision and spin of a 30-yard free kick into the top corner. And reveals her own keepy-uppy talents in the process.

This is a play with laughs and drama, but its historical significance can’t be underplayed. Rose Reilly would go on to be inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2007 and was awarded an honorary doctors’ degree from Glasgow University.

Perth Theatre, September 12.