DO not in any way expect a show in the style of The Borrowers film, the one with big, bad John Goodman, boasting all manner of special effects and a story far removed from the book.

Watershed Productions bring theatricality to Mary Norton's 1952 story of the little people who live in secret under the floorboards in late-Victorian Leighton Buzzard.

Executive director Chris Wallis, who was artistic director of York Theatre Young People's Theatre from 1979 to 1986, acquired the stage rights to The Borrowers with the aim of creating a magical show for family audiences, and was determined to be faithful to Norton's books while bringing high production values to the show.

He succeeds on both counts: Charles Way's stage adaptation sticks to the house and garden and field, while the production has an array of puppets in all shapes and sizes, from marionettes and a giant arm to glove puppets and rug puppets. The giant-size wasp, cricket and moth captivate the children too.

Directed by Roger Haines, this touring production has been on the road since January following an initial run last Christmas at the Library Theatre in Manchester, but there is no sign of the cast going stale.

Jo Theaker, who has starred in a couple of John Godber premieres at Hull Truck, makes a lively and inquisitive Arrietty, the 14-year-old daughter of Pod (Nicholas Collett) and Homily Clock (Liz Bagley), the cautious borrowers from beneath the floorboards.

With Arrietty Clock living in a trapped and hidden world, comparisons are often made with her fellow teenage diarist, Anne Frank in Amsterdam, but equally, Harrietty is another in the line of children wanting to discover a world beyond their immediate boundaries, be it the Darlings in Peter Pan or Dorothy in the Wizard Of Oz. Haines's production is particularly strong on this theme.

At its heart is the friendship of Arrietty and The Boy, divided by height and floorboards but bonded by a feeling of isolation when surrounded by restrictive adults. Steven Atholl, with his choirboy looks and animated manner, plays The Boy with a suitably breathless voice, conveying the child running ahead of himself, always on the verge of another question, yet Atholl never sacrifices clarity.

In the tradition of today's hottest chefs, Pamela Buchner invests plenty of grumps and strops into her characterisation of The Boy's bete noir, the cook Mrs Driver, while Collett and Bagley and Daniel Harcourt's Spiller bring big hearts to the little folk.

Roger Haines's production will scare and excite, enchant and amuse in equal measure in performances at 7pm tonight, 10.15am and 7.30pm tomorrow, and 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday. This form of Clock watching is thoroughly recommended.