There’s always the temptation at this time of the year, I fear, for adults in the audience for any Christmas show to have a tendency to side with the baddies.

Certainly, the idea of all the children in England being turned in mice would solve a lot of Christmas angst, and keep the house a lot quieter on the Big Day.

The Witches in this marvellous production of Roald Dahl’s somewhat gruesome tale have that fate in mind for every child in the country. Awful crones. But then again, as Boy’s Norwegian Grandmother keeps pointing out, England has the nastiest witches in the world: discuss.

Adapted by David Wood and directed by Dale Rooks, the Chichester production continues the tradition of first rate Christmas entertainment from the Youth Theatre.

Two teams of young actors on separate nights create the murky tale of events at the annual witches’ conference in Bournemouth’s Hotel Magnificent, where the England’s coven have gathered in disguise to receive their dastardly orders from the Grand High Witch of the World.

Boy, assisted by Grandmother (Dahl was never big on character names), scheme to turn the tables on the revolting creatures by setting their own mouse-trap.

With strong performances from all of the cast, it’s the witches themselves that steal the show with their sinister stalking and sniffing-out of any children – on stage or in the audience. Behind their trademark sunglasses and under silver-blonde wigs they appear a throw-back to the Stepford Wives rather than horrid hags. Beneath the disguises, however, they are witches through and through; warts and all.

Comic measure is added by two zany, tango-dancing hotel chefs who at one point hold centre stage with their mobile kitchen while the mouse-scurrying mayhem erupts around them.

Clever use of props and a simple but effective set keeps the magic turning.

At just two hours -long with a short break, this is an ideal escape for families – even if it does give harassed adults a few non-too-festive ideas for the season.

The Witches runs until January 4.