‘Once upon a time . . .” Stories have begun this way since time immemorial, and there are no prizes for guessing that this is the opening line of this year’s Creation Theatre Christmas show. Appropriately, the opening comes from a narrator, who is soon interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. “What’s that?” she cries in well-justified alarm. “None of your business,” comes the gruff reply from a prickly old man, who adds insult to injury by adding: “I suppose they call you the girl with a face like a pie.” No political correctness there, then.

Lizzie Hopley’s script takes a brisk canter through 11 of Han Christian Andersen’s tales, some well known, some less so. Along the way, all sorts of people, animals, and magical objects pop up. There is a warty witch, a cantankerous crow, and several wolves. There are magic stones, magic tinderboxes, and a knapsack full of gold. In some of the funniest moments in the show, Hopley brings you sharply up to date: “No, no,” someone cries as the Princess places a special pea under her 20 mattresses. “It’s not a pea, it’s a curried lentil.”

Similarly, the mortal who first gets to see the handsome prince mentions previous problems with boyfriends and drugs – and she has a distinctly Amy Winehouse wig. And was it my imagination, or does the Ugly Duckling look suspiciously like Orville, gone from green to mangy yellow with age?

There’s traditional humour too. “I can see his bum,” cries pie-face as the Emperor, heralded by a beefy brass fanfare, sets out on a procession to show off his new clothes. Of course, the emperor is unknowingly naked, for two swindlers have sold him some non-existent cloth. But should you be worrying about nudity warnings, he is actually wearing a substantial set of woolly combinations – a very wise precaution, as chilly draughts can sweep across the BMW car park, and into the Mirror Tent.

Besides the humour, writer Hopley, and director Caroline Leslie infuse the show with Andersen’s sense of the macabre, and of love and pain – quite rightly, no attempt is made to make the stories cuddly, or turn them into Disney movies. The members of the six-strong ensemble cast (Jonathan Baker, Jordan Bernarde, Sophie Duval, Lowri Gwynne, Adam Henderson-Scott, and Olivia Mace) are all excellent, whether they are engaged in straight narration, or in delivering dialogue. While it doesn’t push any theatrical barriers, this colourful slice of storytelling should hook both children and adults alike.

n Hans Christian Andersen’s Magical Tales continues in the Mirror Tent at BMW Group Plant Oxford until Januar 17. Tickets: 01865 766266 or www.creationtheatre.co.uk