A pig without a mother - and a sheepdog who lost her pups.

It's hardly a match made in heaven, but as any child who knows the story of Babe the sheep-pig through the book by Dick King-Smith or the film could tell you, pig, dog and farmer end up learning a whole lot about life.

This Christmas Babe is coming to the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, from tonight until January 11 next year.

And according to director Phil Clark, also the theatre's artistic director, the little pig that could will be a real breath of fresh air.

He said: "The play has been done once before by the man who wrote the adaptation, so this is only the second production.

"Dick King-Smith had nothing to do with the film version, but he's been very supportive of this stage adaptation.

"It's very loyal to the book so that kids who've read that will identify very strongly with it. "We've been looking at pigs' different mannerisms and how they move. But it's the essence of the story that's important to finding that empathy with an audience.

"Things like tolerance and friendship run all through the piece and seven to eleven-year-olds really have an empathy with that.

"The cast are a group of 12 actor-musicians, and they play 30 different instruments on stage at each performance.

"I want people to see that creating a piece of theatre is about a cross-section of skills. "I think that it's a great Christmas show, a really good family show, and there are a lot of educational resources based around it for schools.

"There's lots in it that will touch people's hearts and their souls as well."

Babe, The Sheep-Pig runs until January 11 at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. Tickets range from £6 to £12 and are available from the box office on 02920 646900.