The best decision Will Tuckett made in presenting his new child-friendly production for the Royal Opera House was to bring on board the puppet masters of Blind Summit Theatre. Their evocation of Tuckett's magical fairy landscape is masterly, their puppets - inspired by the genius of Arthur Rackham - a wondrous blend of humanity and grotesquery. So clearly not alive, yet so convincingly real: it's no wonder their appearance elicited oohs and aahs from the young audience in the Clore Studio Upstairs.

Unlike his other dance-theatre productions for Covent Garden (The Wind in the Willows, Pinocchio, The Soldier's Tale), Faeries is based on original material. Conceived and directed by Tuckett and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Faeries tells a slight but enchanted tale of Edie's journey into fairyland.

For no apparent reason, it's a period piece set in the Blitz. Edie (a captivating performance by the dancer Charlotte Broom) and her brother are separated during their evacuation to the countryside as German bombs rain over London. With Tom forced on to a train, Edie runs off to seek sanctuary in Kensington Gardens where, in the course of one night, she is swept up into a fraught world of fractious fairies. There's the evil tyrant Dolour (who feeds off “the carnage of war”), the adorable and tiny Anak (who can't fly because her wings were torn on a broken bottle discarded in the park), and the wise old Drone. There's a hunt for buried treasure, a battle between good and evil, and a strong message of love and friendship.

Lenkiewicz's rhyming text is not quite clear enough or sufficiently driven to support 70 minutes without dragging. But every other aspect of this show is poised to charm, from the fireflies twinkling amid the knotted treetrunks of Michael Vale's atmospheric set, to Tuckett's free-spirited choreography and Martin Ward's tuneful, sweet music. Faeries is recommended for ages four and up, and if the delight I saw on many faces is anything to go by, they won't be disappointed. Perfect for the summer hols.

Box office: 020-7304 4000, to July 19, then Theatre Royal Bath (01225 448844), July 22-30

Editor's choice

• U2 at Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona
• The 50 Best Movie Villains
• The 15 golden rules of theatre etiquette