Emma stars as Luisa in the new all-action, swashbuckling, Latin adventure Zorro the Musical, which opened at The Garrick Theatre, last week.

And her performance, as the sword-fighting hero's love interest has earned her some of her best reviews since the former North Halifax Grammar School pupil from Illingworth, made her West End debut as Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in 2002.

"The beautiful Luisa, played by Emma Williams, remains every bit as scrumptious here," wrote The Telegraph's Charles Spencer who described the show as "the perfect antidote to the credit-crunch blues."

The Guardian's Michael Billington has also described Emma as "scrumptious" and praised her singing voice, which also did not go unnoticed by The Daily Express's Paul Callan, who awarded the show four stars out of a possible five.

"The part of Luisa is sung with some power by Emma Williams and her performance songs like Falling and The Man Behind The Mask are both touching and moving," he said.

Nicholas de Jongh for the Evening Standard also praised "Emma Williams's powerfully-delivered songs."

The Daily Mail's critic Quentin Letts also gave the show, which he described as "a blast, funny, exciting, noisy and a riot of souped up flamenco music", a four-star rating.

"Female glamour is provided by Emma Williams (as the toff crumpet) and Lesli Margherita (as the hot-pash gipsy). Both women honk away with gusto. Miss Williams has some of the show's few quiet moments but in the end proves she can flash and waggle her hips as well as warble through the soppy bits," he said.

The show , which stars Matt Rawle as the masked hero, is directed by Christopher Wrenshaw and inspired by Isabel Allende's 2005 best-seller, Zorro: A Novel.

Its foot-stomping flamenco dancing, realistic sword-fights and red-hot music by the Gipsy Kings have led critics to describe it as "perfect summer family entertainment," a "lavish spectacle" and "a rollicking good time."

But one critic – The Times's Benedict Nightingale has questioned whether it can compete with some of the established West End shows.

"I don't think Zorro The Musical is red hot enough to match the 22-year-old Phantom of the Opera for longevity.

"In fact I'm not sure it will survive 22 weeks, though it deserves to do so," he said.

But he still awards the show three stars out of five.

• Travel with Courier holidays to see Emma in Zorro. For a brochure about London theatre breaks ring 01422 260257 or visit Courier holidays online by clicking here