TORMENTED love, vanity and wickedness are playing out at a high school - on the stage rather than in the classrooms.

Students at Longhill High, in Rottingdean, are performing the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast for their summer production.

On Tuesday the 40-strong cast and crew performed the musical, popularised by Disney, for local primary school students.

The school's widening participation manager, Pam Dolton, one of the show's directors, said: "During the song Tale As Old As Time, Belle and the Beast dance in the great hall with one of the other students singing and it is just very, very beautiful.

"We have not made any cuts so the production is quite long, but the primary school students were enthralled.

"There was a really emotional moment at the end where they came up and asked the students for their autographs."

Year 9 student Olivia Kingswood plays Belle while year 10 student Josh White plays the beast. Students from years seven to ten are acting or working back stage. Local shop Frock UK has lent Belle the flowing white prom gown she wears in the dance scene.

Performances are this evening, 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are on sale from the school cashier office. £4.50 adults / £3.50 children.