Secret Heart (Manchester)

Shy and introverted, young Joe Maloney (Ben McKay) plays truant from school for fear of bullying, much to the concern of his mum (Libby Davison), a single parent juggling work and home demands. Enter a travelling circus and a trapeze artist named Corinna (Asta Sighvats). With the help of Corinna and the circus troupe – not least, Wilfred and his Dancing Dogs and the mysterious blind woman Nanti Solo - Joe gains some much-needed confidence and the courage to face the demon tiger within.

Now if you think all of this sounds terribly corny and a tad patronising, you'd be right. Or almost. In fact, I am sad to report it's even worse than you could possibly imagine. The Royal Exchange's new production, Secret Heart, is based on an award-winning children's book by David Almond, but Amanda Dalton's adaptation won’t be winning any awards – it simply lacks the magic needed to make it fly.

And, while the story may have imaginative potential, Wis Wilson's unimaginative production fails on all levels. Take the set design for starters. A recreation of a circus tent on stage should provide plenty of spectacle, but Louise Ann Wilson's offering is massive and massively vapid. Though characters talk a lot about the circus tent, its wonder fails to reach the audience.

Of the central performances, only Ben McKay convinces as young Joe. Somehow, remarkably, he manages to act with verve, as if in a completely different production from the rest of the lacklustre cast.

As the trapeze artist Corinna, Sighvats' acrobatic skills are exemplary but, unfortunately, her acting ability consists of many wide-eyed expressions and much running about - she gets nowhere near the right level of emotion required. For a troupe of eccentrics and new age mystics, the rest of the circus gang provide very little depth or interest either.

Wilson's direction lacks pace and seems stilted. Often he clutters the stage with lots of performers all talking at once, as if attempting to disguise the fact that very little is taking place.

At the performance I attended, children quickly started fidgeting and talking, while some audience members failed to return after the slow first act. I can't say I blame them. There's very little here to engage. At this time of year, pantos are often denounced as lazy and old-fashioned, but if this is the alternative, I say bring on the B-List celebs!

- Glenn Meads