THE charming tale of Mary Norton's The Borrowers is delivered with dark overtones by director Janine Sharpe in this week's Courtyard production.

Original music by Ian P Russell is well handled by the small cast, who belt out songs at regular intervals.

Stacey Sampson as Arrietty wins the audience's affection during her first foray into the garden, it's just a shame this scene doesn't come earlier. The relationship between The Boy (nicely played by newcomer Thomas Willshire) and his small friend takes a long time to flower.

It's a piece timed for book week and lots of young children may well be mesmerised by the mechanical choreography and larger-than-life props.

Cardiff-based designer Carl Davies's set and costumes steal the show, creating a real sense of otherworldliness.

It was always going to be difficult to represent the world of the borrowers and that of the 'human beans' on stage, and these problems have been cleverly overcome.

The main issue for me is what could have been something truly wonderful is hampered by over-complicated contextualisation and a rather nebulous ending.

War footage during the opening scene may confuse young minds, and the boy's treatment by his aunt's staff is brutal.