It’s a story that will be familiar to every parent in the country. “It’s Christmas. Big Mouse is the long-suffering parent figure, trying to sort out Little Mouse’s present – a cheese pie,” explains Chloe Phillips, lead actor with Blunderbus Theatre company. “But Little Mouse is getting in the way, making a mess – so Big Mouse sends him out to find some holly. He has a big imagination so it turns into a big adventure. It starts to snow, Little Mouse has never seen snow before and imagines he’s being chased by invisible monsters... Until Big Mouse comes to save him. They then build a beautiful snow mouse together and have a song...”

So what makes the show magical?

“It’s based on the beautiful children’s book by Diana Hendry. And perfectly captures the magic from that. The set is amazing, it’s so colourful – it brings the illustrations in the book into real life. The two actors use different types of puppets: headpiece puppets make them look like the mice, and they also use a miniature puppet and a mid-size 3ft puppet.”

Like all children, Chloe says the audience are particularly drawn to the snow.

“The actors have imitation snow hidden around the set and in pockets – they scatter it about and the illusion it creates is very impressive. Then there’s a big surprise when a snow machine comes on at the end. It’s like a storm!”

The Very Snowy Christmas offers children a gentle, unique piece of festive wonder. Chloe explains: “It’s so different from pantomime, it’s still got all the interaction, fun and laughter but also has beautiful storytelling alongside it.”

How do they deal with young children who can get a bit frightened in the theatre?

“When the children arrive we greet them as ourselves, we get to know their names, who they are with, so they’re our friends from the start. Then we use their name throughout the show and include them in certain moments.

“We use a lot of audience interaction. We have found that if children can see our faces then they are alright. It’s when masks cover the eyes that it tends to freak out younger children.”

The Very Snowy Christmas is at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury, on Tuesday. Call 01295 279002.