Blood streams from glass shoes, animals start up bands and gingerbread proves to be the building material favoured by witches.

The collected tales of the Brothers Grimm are packed with strange spectacles, making this promenade staging of seven of the best the perfect challenge for designer Siobhan Ferrie.

Revealing their dark and mischievous undertones in the poetic, contemporary adaptation by Carol Ann Duffy (first performed by the Young Vic in 1994), these age-old fairytales are to be performed by Chichester Youth Theatre, whose annual outdoor productions attract audiences from across the South.

"The gruesome bits are told but within a theatrical context," reassures Ferrie.

"They're not so realistic that we'll have people fainting."

The tales to be told are The Lady And The Lion (cousin to Beauty And The Beast); The Musicians Of Bremen; The Golden Goose; Ashputel (aka Cinderella); The Magic Table, The Gold Donkey And The Cudgel; Iron Hans and Hansel And Gretel.

Guided by a travelling band of magpies playing tangos and jigs, the audience will process from the bishop's private gardens, through the Garden Of Paradise, to the cathedral.

"You're working with a space which is undefined and has an incredible natural backdrop," says Ferrie. "Even just walking through the locations you get a sense of being brought somewhere completely different.

"You start among the beautiful trees and stone wall of the Bishop's Palace, then walk through into the open park area and, as the evening darkens, we move into the cloisters with this stunning backdrop of the cathedral."

Ferrie has used all her skills and imagination to come up with seven distinct settings for the diverse tales.

For The Musicians Of Bremen, she has built a climbing frame in the shape of a witch's hat which the musical animals climb on and through. The Lady And The Lion has the characters dressed as Greek stone statues brought to life. And The Golden Goose will see the Bishop's gardens populated by garden gnomes.

"The one I'm most excited about is Ashputel," she says. "In the original there's a very strong presence of Ashputel's dead mother, who's basically the fairy godmother in the story which we all know.

"So the idea we had for that one was of this large head growing out of the ground, a sleeping figure who's very tranquil and peaceful.

"The sculptor Richard Clarke, who works with Damien Hirst, actually volunteered to make it. It looks fantastic."

Starts at 7pm, £12 and £6. Call 01243 781312