Arabia is definitely the theatrical hot ticket this Christmas, with Ben Hopkins' Magic Carpet recently flying into Hammersmith and Alan Ayckbourn's Champion of Paribanou thrusting his scimitar in Scarborough. Now Karen Louise Hebden's retelling of the 1001 Nights arrives as the latest addition to the fez-tive season.
It's a risky move, as there's no guarantee that kids expecting an Xbox 360 this Xmas have any interest in fairytales. And there is a certain amount of restlessness for the first few minutes, until the story of Abu Hasan's legendary flatulence grabs the attention. Say what you will about the power of storytelling, you can't beat the spectacle of a grown man farting loudly in public.
The production looks and sounds a treat, thanks to Toni Jane Bysouth's glittering minaret design and Kelvin Towse's liltingly oriental score. Yet despite occasional moments of technical wonderment (Lucien MacDougall's gravity-defying genie deserves a mention), Stephen Edwards's production is a back-to-basics exercise in ensemble narrative. And severe though it sounds, it's refreshing to see Aladdin's tale freed from its panto trappings, and presented as a metaphysical parable about the karmic workings of the universe.
There's also a real frisson to the manner in which Glenn Carter's Sultan sulks and glowers like a troubled, Byronic psychopath: clearly the man needs to see a psychiatrist, never mind a storyteller. Yet the soothing tones of Kirsty Yates's Shahrazad prove sufficient balm to prevent her from getting it in the neck. More to the point, she manages to keep an impatient crowd of under-12s suitably entranced - this is undoubtedly a woman who knows the meaning of a difficult audience.
· Until January 28. Box office: 01332 363275.
