MOSCOW Ballet presents the irresistible tale Coppelia at The Anvil on Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13.

Beginning at 7.45pm, it tells the story of Doctor Coppelius and his attempt to make a doll with a soul.

A love story infused with charm and comedy, there's an eccentric old toymaker, Coppelius, the feisty Swanilda, her fianc Franz and the amazingly life-like doll, Coppelia, together with a supporting cast of youthful, mischievous characters.

Full of humour and Hungarian dances, this ballet is a magical delight.

Coppelia ranks as the best known and most performed comedy ballet, based upon the 1815 children's tale Der Sandmann.

The collaborators, Charles Nuitter, an archivist at the Paris Opera, and Arthur Saint-Leon, a former principal dancer and Ballet Master of Russia's Imperial Ballet, broke new ground by concentrating on the comedy aspect of the story rather than some of its more sombre content. They even borrowed elements of pantomime from La Comedie Francoise.

Saint-Leon, a folklore enthusiast, imparted his ideas for the music to Delibes, along with popular songs he'd encountered with folkloric dancing. The resulting score is considered one of the key reasons for the enduring popularity of this wonderful ballet.

Tickets, priced from £18 to £22 full price, with entry just £12 for under-16s, are available from the box office on 01256 844244, the website www.theanvil.org.uk or the ticket fax 01256 366900.