James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl's fantastical stories pose quite a challenge as far as stage adaptations are concerned. James and the Giant Peach is one of his slimmer stories but, like The Witches and The BFG, it requires some creative tinkering around with scale.

How to show an enchanted fruit rapidly growing until it's large enough for a young boy to take up residence in its stone?

Jeremy Raison's production for the Citizens', designed by Jason Southgate, is lacking in the wow factor that makes the story such a treat.

In fact, the one big surprise of the show prompts more gasps of fright than delight.

There are some charming moments, including the live pre-show music and a wonderful shadow puppet sequence that's reminiscent of the Lemony Snicket movie, but the initial appearance of the peach is really quite shoddily executed.

Seasoned Dahl adapter David Wood has fleshed out the story a little ' Judith Williams and Allison McKenzie revel the ugly sister roles of Aunts Sponge and Spiker ' but inside the peach the many insect characters jostle for attention. Sandy Grierson's Old Green Grasshopper makes his mark, though (in a loaded conversation about status he declares 'I'm not a pest ' I'm a musician'), and Dougal Lee's put-upon Earthworm is similarly strong.

A jam session by onstage musicians is a brilliant pre-show treat, and the costumes are fabulous, but all in all this peach doesn't quite satisfy.