ENGLISH National Ballet's Coppélia may be 30 years old but there is nothing dusty or dated about this traditional family-friendly production.

From the opening bars of Delibes uplifting score, this beautiful ballet fizzes and sparkles with fun.

Other versions of Coppélia might choose to focus on the dark and macabre aspects of the tale based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's stories, but here the mood stays light and cheerful as the potentially sinister doll maker Dr Coppélius is presented as a comical, eccentric fool.

Michael Coleman portrays the doddery doll maker brilliantly with echoes of Disney and Belle's crazed father in Beauty and the Beast and fellow mad-cap inventor Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Admittedly there are tinges of the macabre but the comedy and characterisation overtake any attempts to delve deeper into a potentially disturbing tale.

Ronald Hynd's choreography is both exquisite with elements of slapstick and mischief to broaden its appeal.

Company director Tamara Rojo had cast ENB rising stars Shiori Kase and Yonah Acosta as the leads.

Injury forced Yonah to withdraw and be replaced by company soloist Fernando Bufalá last night who played a cheeky Franz.

He formed a smooth partnership with Shiori, an expressive and confident performer.

Ultimately the ballet comes full circle as the joyful celebration at the start is reprised, with a visual feast of stunning autumnal costumes.

The accomplished corps de ballet, take the dancing to a higher level and the magical score, played by English National Ballet's full orchestra, lifts our spirits further still.

• Coppélia is at the Mayflower Theatre as part of a limited UK tour until Saturday October 18.

Performances at 7.30pm (Thurs Mat at 2.30pm, Sat Mat at 2pm) Tickets: £10.75 - £48.50 023 8071 1811 or ballet.org.uk/coppelia