BRAVE, innovative and breaking new ground with a disturbing, high=pitched Benjamin Britten-style Gothic opera using Australian Finegan Kruckemeyer’s words and Oxford lecturer Martyn Harry’s haunting music.

This should be the production which gains Darlington-based Theatre Hullabaloo, and Ellesmere Port’s Action Transport some international accolades.

Troublingly, the overlong songs pushed the production way beyond its 90 minute intended running time and some younger members of the audience were clearly uncomfortable with director Nina Hajiyianni’s pedestrian pace. Children don’t need to be smacked over the head with a constantly repeated dialogue however glossily presented, using clever central circular screen images designed by Bek Palmer.

Tom Bates amuses with a Burtonesque narrator who stitches together an eerie tale of children who are “naughty”

magically vanishing from the Candleford-era village of Upper Crumble.

The rest of the talented cast combine musical, singing, acting and puppetry duties as a host of characters are brought to life.

Gary Albert Hughes is Bobby Rogers (plus flute), the boy who finally challenges “the list”

that all children must obey and ends the tyranny of the fixing kitchen where trouble-makers are taken back to babydom and allocated to fresh parents – just don’t let Gordon Brown hear of that one.

Eva Karell plays the violin and Bobby’s love interest Emily Ives. Eleanor Meynell whips from piano to Mrs Rogers and the monstrous fixing kitchen Nurse. Andrew Sparling (clarinet) is Mr Rogers and the morbid Mr Allen, robbed of a daughter because she went out with a coat in winter.

My 11-year-old companion enjoyed the nightmarish and sometimes confusing scenes on stage, but grew anxious because he couldn’t tell the baddies from the goodies.

Then again, isn’t genius always a little close to madness?

■ Tour dates: Today, The Crypt, Middlesbrough Town Hall, 01642-242561; Thursday and Friday, Washington Arts Centre, 0191-219-3455.