Young Ciara Higgins is hoping Peter Pan will sprinkle some fairy dust, as the young dancer has a broken ankle and has been hobbling into rehearsals.

Ciara is a member of the Estelle School of Dance, and along with a cast of 100 will be bringing the magic of Neverland to Swindon's Wyvern Theatre from Thursday, June 23 to Saturday, June 25.

Abigail Daniels who played the part of Michael in J M Barrie's famous story eight years ago, under Pat's teaching, is now taking the title role.

Pat says it is one of the joys of running your own dance school to watch your students progress and to take pride in their success.

"Alice Baker who was Tinkerbell eight years ago at the Wyvern, is now performing in the world premiere of Devilish, a new professional show in London,'' said Pat. "And our Tinkerbell this summer is my granddaughter Alexandra Bamford.''

The adults are played by members of the Immanuel Drama Group but as Pat enjoys doing a Hitchcock in all her shows look out for her popping up as one of the characters - last time she was Mrs Darling!

It is a full scale musical with lots of songs and dancing including numbers such as Got To Believe In Fairies, Come Away To Neverland and a real tear jerker Don't Say Goodbye.

"We have a ballet, pirates tap dancing with cutlasses, and Indians dancing to some catchy tunes,'' says Pat, whose passion for dance began when she was a child.

It was always her dream, and at the age of nine, having badgered her parents, she was allowed to take dance lessons. She trained at the Rambert Studios in London and she danced as a semi professional.

Now Pat has spent more than 50 years coaching the next generation of young dancers. She began in 1958 when the English National Ballet turned her down for being to short. Her school, based in the Immanuel Church Hall, quickly flourished and she still teaches ballet, tap and modern dance.

This production is adapted by Piers Chater-Robinson and is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd. The cast range in age from two-year-old toddlers to adults.

Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30pm nightly and 2.30pm for Saturday matinee, are £12, concessions £2 off. They are available from 01793 524481. - Flicky Harrison