THERE may be no fairy godmother, no Buttons and no fairytale coach conjured from a pumpkin, but there is still enchantment to be found in this tale of Cinderella.

Kirstie Davis’s production for Forest Forge blends narration, music, puppetry and imagery to tell the familiar story of the girl, bullied and belittled by an uncaring step-mother and her two stepsisters, who steps out of the ashes and into a glass slipper to win the hand of the handsome prince.

Writer David Haworth (who is also the designer) has adapted the Brothers Grimm’s tale of Ashputtel – and it’s a grim tale indeed, with mutilated toes and pecked eyes for the sisters and a fate for their wicked mama that would have had Hitchcock beaming.

Those more used to pantomime will find it short on glitz, slapstick and jokes and, for my money, two sets of steps and a doorframe were heaved around the set with distracting frequency.

However, the cast of five work hard and this Cinderella attends no less than three balls, clad in gowns inspired by the seasons and designed by students from Bournemouth Arts University College.

It gives her prince time to realise that he must look beyond wealth and class and superficial glamour to find real beauty and true love to live happily ever after.

The real magic of the Cinderella story lies in transformation, especially the transforming power of a mother’s love.

Ashputtel’s mother dies as the play begins but her spirit lives on in a magical tree that grows in the garden where she is buried.

And it’s in the moments that Ashputtel puts her need for help into song, the tree replies in music and the birds come to her aid that the production is at its most charming, prince or no prince.

Ashputtel is touring village halls and community centres until January 16.