BE transported to the heart of one of the world's most famous fairytales as Northern Ballet brings Beauty & the Beast to Mayflower Theatre for the first time next week.

A kaleidoscope of colour and haute couture style costumes, the treasured classic will be on stage from Wednesday to Saturday.

Choreographed by Artistic Director David Nixon OBE, Beauty & the Beast tells the story of a vain and superficial Prince. Transformed into a Beast as punishment for his arrogance, his only chance is for true love to break the spell – but who could love a monster like him?

Beauty & the Beast will take audiences on a journey into an enchanting world inhabited by fairies, goblins and sprites.

Set to an infectious score played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia, it includes music by Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Poulenc, Glazunov and Debussy.

David Nixon told Your Entertainment: "Beauty & the Beast is a classic fairytale of good versus evil, exploring the concept of beauty on the inside and the outside. This is not an adaptation of the Disney version of the story – it is based on the original tale and will embrace the darker elements as well as the lighter moments."

Ashley Dixon, who plays the Beast, added: "The story has got a strong moral compass - 'don't judge a book by its cover' - which I think makes it a really popular fairy tale. At the beginning we have the Prince who from the outside looks brilliant, but inside he's not a nice person. After he gets transformed into the Beast, he realises that he needs to right his wrongs and becomes a good all-round person inside and out.

"Beast is a really special role for me. I was able to put my personality into it - along with a lot of time, sweat and tears. We tried to find a way to make Beast move that was animalistic, as opposed to how a dancer would typically move."

Beauty soloist Dreda Blow said: "It's a really lovely family ballet and it's got something in it for everybody. It's very touching and heart-warming. As I have been performing more dramatic roles this season, like Cathy in Wuthering Heights and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, it's nice as we near Christmas time to do something a bit lighter. There is still a darkness to the story like in all fairy tales, but everybody leaves smiling. It's one of those shows that transports the audience for a few hours to a lovely, beautiful place."

Tickets for Northern Ballet's Beauty and the Beast are on sale now from 023 8071 1811 or mayflower.org.uk