THANK God for Northern Stage.

Without this revamped theatre's continued determination to deck the halls with alternative Christmas entertainment there would be nothing but "it's behind you" stage acts from Hexham to York.

Director Neil Murray's thoughtful re-telling of this 1940s story, created by French aviator Antoine de Saint Exupery, offers us the challenging story of a pilot (Markus Von Ligen) who crashes in the Sahara Desert. There he meets The Little Prince (Sophie Trott), a six-year-old boy from another planet on an anxious mission to keep alive his great love, a Rose (Jane Arnfield).

The stark meeting place is enlivened by cast members doubling as somewhat baffling "shifting sands" in dun-coloured outfits to the point where Trott sits and stands on them. There is plenty of activity with choreography and lighting involving prince and aviator meeting each day at sunset by the crashed plane.

Fine comic moments come as the boy recalls his visits to other planets plus one of the most involved audience participation scenes I've ever experienced as the cast carry giant lightweight Planet Earth items backwards and forwards through the seating area. It's probably the closest I've been to a huge bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale in ages.

Peter Peverley makes most impact as the Fox who reveals the Prince's destiny and moves us towards a far from happy ending involving a Snake (Stephen Lamb). This is one worth all the royalties.

* Runs until January 13. Box Office: 0191-2305151