HOW do you even begin to take a quirky, award-winning foreign film and adapt it for the stage?

That remains a mystery, but the fantastic team behind Amélie The Musical have certainly pulled it off.

Audiences around the world were swept away by the cinematic original, which was nominated for five Oscars.

It told the story of Amelie, a young woman in Paris who dreamt up little acts of kindness to bring happiness to those around her.

Last night’s crowd at the Bournemouth Pavilion were lucky enough to be whisked away once more to her magical world.

An intricate set resembling a French train station, complete with clock tower, awaited us as we walked in and the show opened with the sounds of a train rattling by.

The cast deftly re-enacted the tale of Amelie’s childhood, raised by oddball parents who homeschooled and cosseted her, wrongly believing she had a weak heart.

Grown up Amelie, played with aplomb by the captivating Audrey Brisson, watched her early years unfold through the eyes of a puppet of young Amelie.

The whole cast united to bring the streets of Paris alive through music, and were faultless in their depictions of Amelie’s colleagues, neighbours and charity cases.

A particular highlight was the Elton John-inspired Goodbye, Amelie, which ended Act 1 on a gospel music tinged high.

Fans of Hollyoaks and Strictly Come Dancing had the added draw of the gorgeous Danny Mac in the role of Amelie’s love interest, Nino.

It was hard to see at first how such an idiosyncratic film would take to the stage, but this production blew any reservations away.

The songs and score were fantastic, particularly with ‘The girl with the glass’, ‘Nothing’s Changed’ and ‘Halfway’.

In short, this is a heartwarming, whimsical musical with a cute love story and wholesome message that cannot fail to put a smile on your face.

Times may well be hard for dreamers, but Amelie the musical just made them a whole lot easier.

* Amelie runs until Saturday