ON A stormy beach at Withernsea young Jem Hawkins and her Uncle David discover a treasure map...

...Withernsea? Jem Hawkins? Yes, you have read that correctly. Award-winning writer Debbie Oates, whose credits take in Coronation Street, has reimagined Scotsman Robert Louis Stevenson's Victorian adventure story with a Christmas setting, a Yorkshire locale and a switch of gender from Jim to Jem.

Let Debbie explain: "Hull's rich shipping history, in particular the connections with the frozen north, helped us give the story a wintry twist. Usually the island on which treasure is buried is tropical, but in the time this novel was written, most of Hull's ships would be heading into Arctic waters, so we reimagined the island as a wintry paradise: the perfect home for a Christmas story."

Debbie contends that Treasure Island was written as a 19th century Boys Own Adventure, but she wanted her adaptation to appeal to girls and boys, children and adults. ""So Jim Hawkins became Jem Hawkins and, as well as the assortment of pirates led by Long John Silver, I brought in Captain Molly to run the ship," she says.

Why Withernsea? Debbie felt the story should start recognisably in the world around us, in a local place, in an ordinary family. When director Mark Babych took the writer for a drive out of the city to the coast, they settled on Withernsea as "the perfect place".

All these creative decisions work to the advantage of Treasure Island, which is now a winter's tale for a winter audience with the requisite ingredients of adventure, travel, transformation, a young hero/heroine, colourful characters, family relationships, a huge challenge, plus festive trimmings and songs aplenty.

So...on a stormy beach at Withernsea, young Jem Hawkins (Annabel Betts) and her Uncle David (Jack Lord) discover a treasure map, and with the help of Long John Silver (Laurie Jamieson) and his band of pirates they set sail in search of gold. Alas they are betrayed before they reach the islands of the frozen north, and now Jem must find her courage to escape the treacherous crew, survive the storms and find the treasure. Will she make it home again, or join the marooned Ben Gunn (Louise Shuttleworth) on the island forever?

Designer Ciaran Bagnall provides a delightful set, full of books, and even the frame of the Hispaniola is resting on a book on the revolve stage, which is covered in a map. Jem steps out of her home life – her family is moving house – and into the world of Treasure Island as she starts to read the book on finding a copy and so Oates transfers the story from domestic strife to fantasy escape.

The first half is rather too text heavy and slow moving, but the second half is much better with the actor-musicians revelling in John Biddle's superb songs.

A Christmas Treasure Island, Hull Truck Theatre, until January 7. Box office: 01482 323638 or at hulltruck.co.uk