A delightful, carefully structured mystery, Once Upon A Snowflake tells the story of Liza - a fast running, bright girl who has gone missing. We, the audience, were involved deeply from the outset as the 'Spriteologists' taught us all about winter sprites and just why they are so dangerous.

The scene was set beautifully as we entered the misty theatre, a single musician playing mournfully on stage right. A large white screen provided the centrepiece. No other clues were given and so the air of suspense was set.

The production standards, choreography and the three actors / puppeteers were superb. This was engrossing and thought provoking theatre for children at its best. The use of shadow puppetry gave a really magical dimension to the story, whilst the actors, music and active inclusion of the young audience kept attention levels high. This was perhaps best with the intricate improvisation involving a story never heard before (yes an all new story for every performance), sound effects, music and some rather innovative puppetry using clothing.

Ultimately, Once Upon A Snowflake relied on the age old tradition of storytelling. Much was left to the imagination of the audience: we only ever saw Liza as the silhouette provided by the shadow puppet; the winter sprites were a sound whooshing across the stage. The story was all the stronger for the licence to imagine given to its audience.

What really made the play for me was the audience's reaction: the very many belly laughs rippling through the audience, or at times 'hear a pin drop' silence.

I'm sure we'll re-visit the performance at home, have a go at shadow puppetry, or make some story snowflakes. I'd rate it among the top of the family theatre I've experienced.

The 5 year old's verdict: It was poppy fun. Boom!