IT’S been years since I watched Hayley Mills in the 1961 film version of Whistle Down the Wind.

And while Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage adaptation of Mary Hayley Bell’s novel is an altogether different beast, transporting it from rural Lancashire to 1950s Louisiana, it is still a charming tale, exploring the gulf between grown-ups and children.

Whistle Down the Wind is the story of a teenage girl who finds an escaped convict hiding in her barn. When the first words he utters are “Jesus Christ” she takes him to be just that.

Setting the story in the American Bible belt helps place the audience in a world of Christian spirituality and the impressive set, all hazy light and wooden beams, captures the Deep South.

Newcomer Carly Bawden, who impressed critics in Bill Kenwright’s recent touring production of Evita, is brilliant as 15-year-old Swallow. She hovers between innocence and experience and her voice is crystal clear.

There is no question either that former G4 singer Jonathan Ansell, sporting long hair and a scruffy beard as The Man, has the vocal prowess to perform on stage. It’s hard to believe this is his musical theatre debut.

Then, there is a chorus of children who turn in an astonishingly professional performance – special credit to young Charlotte Oldroyd (Brat) and Josh Simpson (Poor Baby).

It’s just a shame that Lloyd Webber’s score is so forgettable. Only a couple of tracks stand out; Tyre Tracks ups the tempo and No Matter What, made famous by Boyzone, packs an emotional punch but the rest is pretty weak.

Whistle Down the Wind is at the Malvern Theatres until Saturday, July 10.

Lauren Rogers