Swan Lake, Manchester Opera House. Runs until Saturday

SWAN Lake -- perhaps the world's most famous ballet -- cast its magic once again on its opening night at Manchester's Opera House.

Against a backdrop of fairytale castles, dark forests and moonlit lakes, the tale of Prince Siegfried's doomed romance with Swan Queen Odette was told entirely through elegant ballet moves.

Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette -- who is under the spell of evil magician Von Rothbart, so that by day she and her friends are turned into swans.

But then the Prince meets Odile, who looks so much like Odette that he mistakes her for his love.

He discovers his mistake and begs Odette for forgiveness, but she runs away from him as the story moves towards its tragic conclusion.

Performed by Moldova's Chisinau National Ballet and accompanied by Tchaikovsky's haunting musical score, Swan Lake was a delight not only to see but also to hear.

Nadezhda Schepachiova was amazing as Odette and Odile. Her graceful movements were remarkably 'swan-like'.

Andrei Litvinov (Prince Siegfried) and Ghenadii Badika (Baron von Rothbart) also gave strong performances.

Adding an extra magical touch were the mechanical swans on the lake backdrop and the beautiful sparkling tulle costumes.

The scenery looked as though it had seen better days -- but the use of lighting created an enchanting atmosphere in a magical show.

RUTH JOLLEY