IT is the production that creative genius Matthew Bourne declared he is most proud of and last night it left audiences at Southampton's The Mayflower Theatre completely spellbound.

Who would have thought Tchaikovsky’s classic Sleeping Beauty could be reworked to include blood thirsty vampires, lavishly costumed black-masked fairies and a forest of sleepwalkers which has broken box office records both sides of the Atlantic? But in Bourne's inventive hands which last brought Edward Scissorhands and the infamous all male Swan Lake to the city, absolutely anything is possible.

Forget boys in tights, girls in tutus and there isn't a single pointe ballet shoe in sight in this Gothic reimagining.

The result is something so extravagantly beautiful that even those who don't normally count themselves as dance or ballet fans will be besotted with Bourne's story of love's triumph over evil and will find themselves at one minute laughing at the comedy moments and the next, leaning forward in their seats to soak in every second of drama.

The tale of the cursed princess sent to sleep for 100 years to await her true love's kiss begins in 1890, the year the score was written. You know you're in for a treat from the moment the curtain rises and the audience are in fits of laughter as the mischievous baby princess Aurora, a captivatingly realistic puppet climbs the curtains and runs rings around the adults and fairies including Southampton dancer Kate Lyons.

Cursed by the wicked fairy Carabosse, we see Princess Aurora played by Ashley Shaw falling in forbidden love with the royal gamekeeper Leo only to succumb to the curse on her 16th birthday at the hands of Carabosse’s son Caradoc, both performed with a dominant presence by Adam Maskell who could come straight out of the Twilight Saga.

With a deal brokered by Count Lilac, King of the Fairies and the princess' guardian angel, Aurora is ushered to sleep - with mesmerising blindfold imagery - while her devastated lover is offered eternal life by becoming a vampire thanks to the count.

After crossing through the years to the modern day, Leo finally has his chance to release her but first he has to rescue her from the murderous clutches of the devilish Caradoc who has the word 'revenge' tattooed on his torso. What ensues is a highly charged confrontation filled with passion.

It was no surprise the audience were on their feet when five certain words were projected onto the final curtain and following a unique question and answer session with Matthew Bourne in the theatre afterwards, applause erupted when he revealed he would be back next year with a mystery production.

In the meantime, this is one not to be missed.

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty runs until Saturday, March 19.