A NEW production of a classic fairytale will be performed at York's Theatre Royal this month.

The Leeds-based Tutti Frutti theatre group will take on the latest adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea, with music by Oliver Birch and directed by Wendy Harris.

Mike Kenny has written the new adaptation of the tale - which is the third annual show he has written for the company and the theatre - and said it was an interesting story to take on in 2014.

He said: "Princesses seem to be back with us as a cultural phenomenon. The assumption is generally that a 'real' princess is very sensitive and high maintenance.

"If you read Andersen's original, you can't quite tell if he's supporting or actually taking the mickey of this attitude. Apart from the famous pea test, he doesn't tell us anything else about the Princess, so we have given her a story. It's a story about what it means to be 'real'."

The Princess and the Pea runs from Thursday, September 18 to Saturday, October 4, with tickets costing £10 for adults and £6 for children from York Theatre Royal Box Office or on 01904 623568. Tickets are also available online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk