The Mayor of Brighton, several members of the Eubank family and David Van Day and family were all on hand to welcome this local hero back to Sussex for the first time on Tuesday.

Of course, this is a very different Pooh to the one who grew up in AA Milnes house in Ashdown Forest but moving with the times has made him an international star.

If you were looking for a first experience of live theatre for little ones, you would be hardpressed to find one with more immediacy, slicker presentation or higher production values.

In the show, the 100 Acre Wood is abuzz as the residents, Rabbit, Owl, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Piglet and Tigger prepare to celebrate Poohs birthday.

Not only do the costumes look like the versions in the films and The Book Of Pooh TV show but the voices are supplied by the original voice-over artists, so they are instantly familiar to the young audience.

Even if they arent, The Narrator (Tracie Franklin) provides an enthusiastic and friendly presence to draw the children in and she is ably assisted by the acrobatics and clowning of the Hunny Helpers, (Leo Acton, Ian Caldwell and Anthony Robinette).

Producer Kenneth Feld and his creative team have pulled out the stops to bring a technically tricky show to the stage: Mixing live performances with a backing track leaves little margin for error.

There are some neat set pieces too. In one scene, Pooh does his exercises in front of a mirror which has a video playback of Pooh doing the same routine. The two then interact and perform a sweet little song and dance.

There is also a marvelously trippy scene featuring luminous dancing Heffalumps and Woozles in a homage to the Elephants On Parade sequence in Dumbo.

Disney Live! certainly leaves them bouncing in the aisles as there is heaps of audience participation, including the chance to throw giant vegetables around the Brighton Centre, to keep the audience on their toes.

Many of the songs will be familiar and come from the pens of Disney stalwarts Richard M and Robert B Sherman, who have been responsible for such classic scores as Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book right up to the new Poohs Heffalump Movie.

One criticism is there isnt much here for the mums and dads but then this show is aimed at children who are even a bit little for panto There is one caveat, this show comes from the House of Mouse and the foyer is an object lesson in marketing and product placement.

The ratio is 15 performers on stage and 12 product vendors front-of-house, so be prepared.