Murray Lachlan Young is one of this country's most gifted poets.

Now he can add storyteller to that accolade because his latest creative outing is a gloriously Gothic tale, in the mode of Tim Burton and The Brothers Grimm, which tells the tale of an unfortunate seven year-old boy who inherits a ramshackled mansion and a devious old butler with it.

Discovering how his ancestors all met their untimely deaths, this verse-driven piece is an utter delight for both young and old.

With a smattering of props and an imaginative set, Murray, alongside theatrical foil Joe Allen, conjures up at first an eerily dark world of eccentric explorers and mad-cap inventors, and then later a magical universe inhabited by witches and fairies.

Sometimes it feels Murray has literally thrown the whole weird and wonderful kitchen sink into his story but the charm of the piece forgives this exuberance as he poetically weaves his protagonist through a number of twists and turns, which keeps the audience guessing until the end.

Joe is a wonderful compliment to the show, not saying a single word but bringing to life the various characters with such exquisite expressions, you cannot help but smile.

It's a match made in heaven with Murray's words that swoop through the air like lyrical swallows and Joe's brilliant transformations.

A mention must also go to director Nina Hajiyianni, who serves up some great scene-stealing ideas such as the sword fight and the projector slide show.

A real theatrical treat.