Alyson Hannigan makes West End debut.

Luckily, I must be the only person not have seen the Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal original. Fans of the film may find their enjoyment marred, however.

For my fellow virgins, When Harry Met Sally concerns the will-they-won't-they friendship between the new-to-Manhatten Sally and true New Yorker Harry.

Can Alyson Hannigan cut it as a West End star? The answer is largely yes. Alyson has a certain degree of stage presence and manages to banish memories of Willow, thanks largely due to a change of accent. Unfortunately the demands of the role require her to age thirteen years, with the Sally of 2000 considerably older than our Alyson. This is largely where her performance falls flat – we just don't really believe that any time has passed. Seeing little Willow grunt and groan in the famous restaurant scene is also a bit disconcerting.

Luke Perry also abandons his husky Beverly Hills 90120 voice for one with a hint of roguish charm and the audience certainly warmed to his performance. And yes, we do get to see rather a lot of the former teen idol and the years have been kind.

Unfortunately, while individually appealing, there's little chemistry between the two. Initially this isn't a problem – Harry and Sally are supposed to find each other annoying - but we never believe they could fall in love.

Fortunately, there is admirable support from Kevin Collins and Sharon Small as friends who Harry and Sally try to pair-off. Their performances are so strong that you can't help but wonder what could have been if they had been put centre stage.

Another major ingredient of the play is a series of When We Met filmed vox pops featuring aged American couples telling us how they met. This device is either sweet or stomach churning – I'd go for the latter. Also, for a show that is presumably trying to distance itself from the original movie it seems odd to cut to filmed inserts.

Staging of the piece is stylish and minimalist which, while this adds a sort of timeless quality, doesn't help convey the passing of a time. Music is also timeless, with Jamie Cullum providing a jazz score and lending his unique vocal talents to the classic It Had To Be You.

While When Harry Met Sally has it faults the material of the piece is strong enough to amuse. Alyson Hannigan and Luke Perry make appealing leads, but a lack of chemistry sometimes kills the romance.

When Harry Met Sally is on at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket for a run of sixteen weeks. Click on the links on the right for more information and to enter our competition to win tickets.