IRRESISTIBLE tunes and scintillating footwork with a new spin.

Bizet's Carmen given The Watermill treatment was, if not grand, fresh, imaginative, and breathtaking at times.

The theatre company blazed a trail at the Old Laundry, with eight actor-musicians in the round on a stage not more than 20-feet across.

And you wouldn't have guessed.

How on earth the energetic and fiery characters avoided bumping into each other during the fast-paced production I will never know.

As well as first class actors they were accomplished musicians too.

In between the stirring dialogue passions ran high as smugglers, soldiers and fiesty females swerved and strutted, charmed and seranaded, using a double bass, cello, clarinets, violins and a host of acoustic guitars.

Torreador was one of the many seductive tunes which reverberated gloriously around the Bowness theatre.

A challenging and inventive adaptation, both well executed and directed by John Doyle.