The spirit of the circus appears to have hijacked the collective imagination this season and Chichester Festival Theatre is no exception.

Their big show this year is the muchloved musical golden oldie, Carousel, written in the Forties by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the masterminds behind Oklahoma!, The King And I, South Pacific and The Sound Of Music.

Set in rural New England in 1895, Carousel tells the tale of naive, young millworker, Julie Jordan, who falls fatefully in love at the fairground with free-spirited wild card Billy Bigelow.

The story was adapted by Rodgers and Hammerstein from Ferenc Molnar's play Liliom and, while more upbeat than the original, was one of the first musicals to contain a tragic plot. Time Magazine hailed Carousel as the best musical of the 20th Century and it is no secret Rodgers and Hammerstein considered it their personal favourite.

"It was far ahead of its time in style and content," says director Angus Jackson.

"We have worked very hard to keep that revolutionary spirit alive. It is a period production but it reflects the taste and style of our current times.

"It's a dark and gritty story. There is poverty, punishment and exclusion. Billy Bigelow is the ultimate anti hero he beats his wife, he steals. He is an emotionally complex character and a brute."

A thought-provoking, at times unsettling, storyline is combined with rousing chorus numbers, spectacular scenery, inventive dance and a beautiful musical score, which includes the classic anthem You'll Never Walk Alone and the inspiring crowd-pleaser June Is Bustin' Out All Over.

It is this combination, says Angus, which gives the musical its depth and appeal to a modern, sophisticated audience. The young director, who was nominated for a BAFTA in 2003 for his pioneering production of Elmina's Kitchen at the National Theatre, is also delighted to be collaborating with worldrenowned contemporary ballet choreographer Javier De Frutos.

"Javier is really pushing the boundaries of dance," says Angus, "in the same way Agnes De Mille, the visionary choreographer who hooked up with Rodgers and Hammerstein for the original, successfully moved the language of dance forward.

"There is a 15-minute ballet sequence in the second half which is almost as dark as the story itself."

A beautiful carousel, hand-built by the cast and crew, is lit up and loaded with metaphor and provides an atmospheric backdrop to the story.

"It was Javier who first noticed how the whole show moves in circles," says Angus. "The story is cyclical and the carousel is very much a central motif, turning in the background."

The large cast includes members from some of the best musical theatre of recent times, including Les Miserables, Cats and West Side Story.

Starts 7.30pm (Sat, Wed and Thurs mat 2pm). Tickets cost £10-£35. Call 01243 781312