ONE of the world's most famous and magical fairy tales is brought to life in a truly enchanting way in the Northern Ballet's performance of Beauty & the Beast.

The combination of exquisite ballet, the delicate sound of the Northern Ballet Sinfonia and a dazzling set of designer-style costumes means the whole family will adore this show.

You all know the story of the vain Prince, transformed into a beast as punishment for his arrogance.

But few will have seen the familiar tale told in such a mesmerising way.

The audience at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre was spellbound as the story unravelled in a sea of colourful fairies, goblins and sprites.

The standard of dance was simply breath-taking, providing inspiration for the many young dancers in the auditorium.

And guess what? It had a happy ending too.

Northern Ballet, consisting of 44 dancers, is one of the UK's biggest and busiest ballet companies and offers a rare combination of classical dance and popular culture.

This production is light enough for a young audience but doesn't shy away from some of the darker elements of the story.

It is choreographed by Artistic Director David Nixon OBE and includes music by Saint-Saëns, Bizet, Poulenc, Glazunov and Debussy.

The same company will bring The Little Mermaid to Southampton for its world premiere in September next year.

Beauty & the Beast runs until Saturday December 3 and there are still tickets up for grabs.