IF you only go to see one ballet production this year, make it Sir Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes.

This sumptuous take on Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, is touring at Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday.

The production was a sell out for its premiere season in 2016 and it's not hard to see why.

The Red Shoes is making a triumphant return for this season, set to the achingly romantic music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, with orchestrations by Terry Davies.

From beginning to end, it's a swirl of dance, set and costume changes, with a cast of dancers who I believe are currently the most exciting company to watch in the UK.

I sat entranced from curtain up to curtain down, as Bourne's New Adventures company swept through this dark tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world.

As Sir Matthew himself says, in many ways it's a personal love letter to the theatre and to dance.

The production is a visual feast for the eye, with dramatic mood swings, cinematic design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Paul Groothuis.

The Red Shoes has won two Olivier Awards and has been a smash hit in London's West End and on tour. It has also won LA Critics' Awards for both choreograph, set and costume design.

In this production, Glenn Graham plays Boris Lermontov, Cordelia Braithwaite Victoria Page and Dominic North Julian Craster.

The Red Shoes just dazzles your senses from start to finish and the cast thoroughly deserve the standing ovations they receive.

Go see it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

John Baker