A WIZARD, dwarves, a quest and a jewel signficant in the fight between good and evil, Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen had much that was familiar from other science fantasy stories, while embedding the tale in the Cheshire environment he knew so well.

Adapted by Christine West and Julian Sluggett, this production had some bold strokes and compelling moments but lost some of its narrative momentum in the stops and starts at the scene changes.

There was an impressive use of lighting and sound and a great display of pyrotechnics at the end. The minimalist staging was effective and added greatly to the atmosphere.

This was very much an ensemble piece, with the young cast throwing themselves into the action with enthusiasm.