Demonstrators claiming a that hit show does not have enough live music were at its opening night in Carlisle to make their views heard.

Members of the Musicians' Union (MU) were at The Sands Centre last night to tell fans about their dismay that the musical of Dirty Dancing - based on the classic film starring Patrick Swayze - features five musicians playing along to a backing track.

The group say previous tours featured up to eight musicians and that in London's West End there were 10.

Dirty Dancing's producers Karl Sydow and Paul Elliott have rejected the MU's claims and say the production had to be redesigned for smaller venues. Mr Elliott has said the union have a democratic right to protest but that what they're saying is "nonsense".

Matt Wanstall, region organiser, MU for the north, said it wasn't about a rowdy protest but about having sensible short, discussions.

He and four other MU members arrived an hour before the show - which is at the Sands until Saturday - to catch members of the audience as they arrived.

"We're not in complete confrontation with the show happening," he said. "The way we see is it, the audience are being shortchanged. If you'd seen it two years ago when it was touring it was pretty much the same ticket prices but with a full live band.

"'The greatest ever live experience,' is not what they're getting."

Mr Wanstall explained that there has always been some recorded music in the production.

"[The audience] are seeing instruments on stage so visually it looks like there's more music in the show. In actual fact there's less live music.

"There's some really competent musicians on the show but we're not fully hearing them because they're actually playing over the top of an existing track. Previously there was a little bit of recorded music - they often used stems - which is quite commonly done with our agreement when shows go on tour. There's an element of compromise, usually which we agree to.

"Those musicians on tour should be heard fully in a live capacity as the show is expressing. It could be better, like it used to be, if it had a full live band."

The MU's argument is that space should be left in the track for particular instruments to be heard and one of the key things, Mr Wanstall said, is that if the track were to break down, the music would essentially stop.

After seeing the show last night music teacher Bronwyn Cutts, of Wigton, said there were sections of the production where the backing tracks were in context, for example where they were meant to be playing from a turntable.

"However," she said, "the rest of the backing totally overpowered the musicians and the production of the backing tracks certainly didn't match the era.

"I never use backing tracks to accompany either singers or performers. It's such an old fashioned thing to do now. The younger generation are far more discerning and as for myself I'm very disappointed as I feel the marketing is misleading.

"I paid £42.50 for the ticket and I expect a professional production, music included."

Joanne Telford, 35, of Cargo, saw Dirty Dancing a few years ago in London and loved it. She was disappointed to here the MU's revelation ahead of the show.

"I think it's all wrong that there isn't a full live band and they've advertised it as a live band, there should be one, not people playing over backing tracks."

It wasn't the first demonstrations to be staged ahead of the production. For this group it was their fifth, with previous demonstrations in Blackpool and York.

A show representative declined to comment when approached by the News & Star.