LAST sunny Saturday afternoon, the Lambert Puppet Theatre was filled to overflowing with excited children and their minders, and the atmosphere was charged with expectation. First to face the music was, as always, the traditional warm up session by Eugene Lambert, Dog Judge and Mr Crow, a treble act of some hilarity ending in a roll call of birthdays.

Then to the main show, an elegant revival of an old Lambert favourite, Cinderella. We have come to take for granted: the high standards of these occasions; the puppets are creative and mobile, the strings colourful and inventive, the voices a perfect match for the characters. The puppetry lends itself to clever set pieces; fairy godmother arriving out of nowhere, instant creation of pumpkin coach and appurtenances, romance at the palace. A demanding audience was well satisfied.

For parents wishing to stem the tide of videos and engage in some taste forming endeavour on behalf of their off spring, the puppet show has significant attractions. It is obvious that children are engaged by the live performance - which, of course, it is - and the opportunities for interacting with it. All the elements of theatre are here in a special way, and we are fortunate to have native artists of international repute to conjure their magic.