David Bintley’s new take on Cinderella is a darker account of the tale than the jolly panto story it often is. It must have been hard for him to put out of his mind the celebrated Ashton version, in which he himself danced, and to do so he has gone for a much grittier work; lower on glamour, heavier on drama. John F. Macfarlane’s sombre designs — even in the ballroom — create a moody atmosphere, and the vast but squalid kitchen makes you wonder how its owner could possibly afford to send his wife and daughters to the ball.

Natasha Oughtred is a lovely Cinderella, mercilessly bullied by her stepsisters — they even shove her head into the sink at one point. But allowing this sadistic pair to become comedic in the second act is a mistake. Samara Downs is ‘Skinny’; tall, dark, bitchy and somewhat reminiscent of Helpmann in the Ashton ballet. Angela Paul, in a most convincing fat-suit, is ‘Dumpy’; constantly stuffing her face with any food she can get hold of, and almost orgasmic at the ball, when a footman carries past her a huge pile of cream cakes. The ever-brilliant Marion Tait (pictured) is at her most terrifying (think Carabosse) as Cinderella’s stepmother.

There is no doubt that Bintley is a talented choreographer and also a master of characterisation, and his Cinderella is a sad but gutsy creature. Oughtred’s final dance with her Prince, when Bintley lets go of the strictly classical and allows the pair to float free in a loving duet, is a lyrical and joyous expression of her feelings. Joseph Caley is a very good dancer, but, sadly, just doesn’t have the right looks for a romantic prince.

Regular readers of my reviews may remember that I don’t really like the Prokofiev music — often dirge-like, mainly down-beat, sometimes elephantine — but it suits the mood of this serious interpretation better than most.

Cinderella is at The Hippodrome, Birmingham, until December 12.