Death, drownings, child cruelty and dismemberment don't normally rate as family entertainment.

But, despite the initial doom and gloom, The Water Babies turns out to be a gem.

The story gets off to a grim start with the frail Ellie returning to her austere stately home to die.

She encounters Tom the chimney sweep, forced into a life of crime by his nasty employer Mr Grimes.

But, within minutes, the action plunges underwater to the glittering, swirling, fantasy world of The Water Babies.

The transformation of the set from Ellie's whiter-than-white bedroom to the bubbling depths of the river brought cheers from the audience.

The creatures who inhabit the reed beds are out of this world. There is the smiley snail played by Christian Patterson, who glides around on a scooter, the comical, glistening frog played by Steve Elias and the hilarious larva played by Steven Fawell, who emerges triumphantly as a camp dragonfly to wolf whistles from the audience.

The 11 sparkling water babies make a fast-moving entrance on scooters and we meet a strutting trout, a teasing yellow eel and a blood-sucking otter.

The Water Babies is the world premiere of Gary Yershon's musical adaptation of Charles Kingsley's classic story.

It is the first time a family show has been part of Chichester's summer festival.

A nonsense tale packed with contradictions, one minute we are laughing at the antics of the underwater menagerie, the next we are in the depths of hell - a kitchen at the Other End of Nowhere - watching blood-spattered "chefs" cook the badness out of the souls of wrong-doers.

But it all adds up to a show which pulls you under and carries you through two hours of watery entertainment.

Although the only household name in the production is Joe McGann, it is other members of the cast who make a bigger splash.

Neil McDermott is fab as Tom and Louise Gold shows her versatility and strong vocals in three roles - the soothsaying Irishwoman, Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid, the ugliest fairy in the world and her opposite number Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby, a Barbara Cartland-style vision in pink whose mission is to dispense love wherever she goes.

At the other end of scales is the blood-spattered kitchen where dismembered limbs bubble in cooking pots and tongues are cut out.

Unexpectedly-loud sound effects have those of a nervous disposition shaking in their seats.

The show gushes morals. The sets are simple but imaginative and the costumes have flair. Jason Carr's music is almost operatic at times but still manages to hold the attention of the younger members of the audience.

There are some minor areas for improvement - a couple of unnecessary swear words and Ellie's hellish wig could do with a trip to Vidal Sassoon but the show won a standing ovation from the packed audience.

Take the plunge and come on in, this water's lovely.

For tickets, call 01243 781312.