Childhood memories of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf are so indelible that the notion of a new version that expands his one-act score into a full-length production is irresistible. Yet, in the end, the idea fails to achieve lift-off. The juice of a really good time is missing. This just isn’t cheeky enough.

The addition to the story, dubbed a “prequel”, is by Abi Brown. It shows us how Peter, now an old man, remembers his initial encounters with the Bird, Duck and Cat who are pivotal to Prokofiev’s tale. While the new additions do convey this, they don’t add much.

The show is neither directed (Anne Geenen) nor choreographed (Didy Veldman) tightly enough. Both women fail to find a unifying arc to hold their new first act together. Even so, this touring production (which opened at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury) looks good and sounds better. Its real brightness is thanks to the composer Philip Feeney. His flair for creating danceable theatrical scores is long established. Here he is well served by the conductor Tim Murray and soloists from the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Nor have costs been spared. The sets (by Paul Gallis) and costumes (Yan Tax and Marie Lauwers) are impressive. Brian Blessed is the booming basso profundo narrator. Howling like the Wolf, quacking like the Duck, he’s having fun and exudes the lively personality that’s missing elsewhere.

Veldman’s contribution isn’t ingenious enough to sustain our attention. The cast of 13 dancers is led by Maurizio Montis as Peter, with Christopher Marney as the Wolf. Both are fine performers, but neither is given enough distinctive choreography to flesh out the roles.

The daffy Duck of Paul James Rooney is the only character who seems to want to bounce out at us. Everyone else feels reined in, as if they were too afraid to go for the obvious – the caricature – when that is exactly what is needed. Rooney’s cartoon glee should have chivvied up the others by example.

The producers must have felt that they couldn’t charge ticket prices commensurate for Blessed, all the dancers and a full orchestra for a performance that would have lasted little more than half an hour. The truth is that we, and especially the many youngsters in the audience, might have been more satisfied if they had.

Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, April 1; Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, April 4-5; Hackney Empire, London E8, Apr 12-20

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