Think Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll and Hilaire Belloc, add a helping of almost every theatrical style imaginable, and you have some idea of what The Terrible Infants is all about. Brought from the Edinburgh Festival by Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company, this is a show that sets out to entertain, excite and challenge, offering humour, energy, eccentricity and a touch of the macabre.

Based on a series of cautionary and bizarre tales by Oliver Lansley, the company’s artistic director, and illustrator/designer Sam Wyer, this is a brilliantly conceived package of fun-filled theatrical tricks. From the moment a lone hand appears out of the top of a cart, followed by a foot, and eventually uncurling into a full body, our attention is well and truly captured. The stories are told through a fusion of narration, puppetry, physical theatre and live music, performed by a cast of five with infectious enthusiasm.

Some of the narration is provided, via a recording, by the unmistakeable voice of Dame Judi Dench.

The ‘terrible infants’ include Tilly, the little girl who can’t resist telling tales and finishes up with her own tail; poor old Mingus who smells so bad that even the flies don’t want to be around him; hungry Tumb, who gets so ravenous waiting for his dinner that he eats his mum; Thungummyboy, whose face is ultimately forgettable, even to his mother; and Bea, who loves to talk about herself all day and every day, and comes to an unexpectedly sticky end.

Funny, intriguing and captivating, this is a show that appeals to all ages, and is ideal for introducing youngsters to the theatre — indeed, Monday’s audience was a sea of young faces. If you missed it this time, try to catch this talented and innovative company if they come round again. For more information, visit www.lesenfantsterrible.co.uk