Theatre which allows death, treachery, sorrow and other dark corners of the heart into its vocabulary.

Tragedy strikes on Christmas day when Rosa 's mother dies and her favourite doll is blown away. The story then splits into two and we follow both Rosa and her father as they embark on their respective adventures. Father finds himself struggling on the Titanic, battlefields and even outer space, while Rosa 's longing for her beloved doll leads her to the mysterious Vinegar Street Factory where the dolls are made.

Michael J Blyth's ambitious tale of The Vinegar Doll is a new and exciting piece of work that's designed to be an alternative to the patronizing Christmas Pantomimes for young people aged between 9 and 14. The Cat in a Cup production at the Traverse sets out to intrigue its young audience with elaborated choreographed movement sequences, stylistic character performances and live choral sound effects.

The play itself is an interesting, if slightly depressing take on the family Christmas and visually has many great moments. Megan Kennedy's physicality is strong as the mother who dances herself to death and both Stanley Pattison and Susie Chown deliver diverse and likable characters with mature comic abilities.

The nature of the development of physical theatre means that at all times the company needs to keep a firm eye on the concept and narrative of the piece in equal balance and this is where this production falls short. This beautifully crafted performance is an alternative to Pantomime but for an intended audience more at home with computer games and the X Factor; its stylistic concepts leave the play inaccessible for many.

The Vinegar Doll runs at the Traverse until Christmas Eve.