REVIEW: The Witches, Nuffield Theatre

IT promised to be 'tremendously terrifying' - and it certainly delivered.

I would add gleefully grotesque and stupendously scary.

The stage version of The Witches brings Roald Dahl's fantasy novel to life in all its gory glory.

This is a visual and musical feast for half term including spells, potions and plenty of magic.

Children aged seven plus and their grown ups will love the clever touches and witty asides, but parents of little ones of a nervous disposition should be warned - this is no sickly sweet story.

Boy's parents are killed in a horrific car crash and he is sent to live with his grandmother who knows all about The Witches, a terrifying race of child-killers disguised as little old ladies.

As it happens, a global gathering of the horrible creatures, who wear gloves and wigs and are constantly scratching their sores, ends up in the same Bournemouth hotel and promptly turn boy into a mouse.

Boy (a marvellously athletic and expressive Fox Jackson-Keen, especially as a mouse) bravely sees off the Grand High Witch (a deliciously vulgar Sarah Ingram), but doesn't magically transform back. Instead, he learns that the life expectancy of a mouse is very short, but resigns himself to having only a few years to live as his grandmother is unlikely to last much longer.

David Wood’s theatrical adaptation remains faithful to the childhood favourite to the extremely bitter end, even after the 1990 film version chickened out.

It's not the easiest of tales to work with, but Nikolai Foster directs a delightful piece with inventive staging and a clever score brilliantly performed by seven supremely talented actor musicians.

An illuminating evening of talent and trickery.

LORELEI REDDIN

The Witches runs until Saturday.

Tickets: 023 8067 1771 or visit nuffieldtheatre.co.uk