CALIBRE Productions know how to convert popular television shows to the stage. Dad’s Army, ’Allo ’Allo! and Porridge have all made the transfer in their hands, but Shaun The Sheep presented a different set of challenges from tapping into BBC nostalgia.

“Shaun The Sheep is a children’s show and it has no words,” says producer Ed O’Driscoll. “For the stage show, it was always a case of wanting to stay true to the animated series, so we looked for a different language and we decided the language should be dance.”

And so, welcome to Shaun’s Big Show, a music and dance extravaganza without words, live on stage at the Grand Opera House, York, from tomorrow until Sunday.

“It’s been in the pipeline for over two years,” says Ed. “I originally approached Aardman with an idea for a Christmas show – at the time I was just opening doors and talking to different rights holders, but Aardman were receptive as they viewed the shows we’d done as brands with longevity.”

In a nutshell, Shaun’s Big Show finds a stage-struck Shaun putting on a special show for all his friends, Blitzer, Shirley, Timmy and the rest, who will dance and prance their way through a series of adventures under the nose of the short-sighted Farmer (CAP CORRECT).

“If you’ve never seen a tap-dancing pig in a tutu, dancing to Singin’ In The Rain, come along. It’s a first!” says Ed. “As a show, there’s something for everybody: we have an hilarious story, fantastic music, amazing choreography, wonderful costumes, stunning scenery and mind-boggling magic. All this and the opportunity to see 11 sheep perform their very own version of Riverdance and do the Cygnet Dance from Swan Lake as Sheep Lake.”

The show’s storyline has been created by David Wood, whose adaptations of The BFG and The Witches for the Birmingham Stage Company have been so popular at the Grand Opera House. Now he branches out into adapting an animated TV show for the first time. “He sprinkles magic on everything he touches,” enthuses Ed. “He understands children and their attention span, the peaks and troughs of a theatre show and how you keep everyone on board on the journey.

“So we have a full narrative that David wrote, locking himself in a dark room for a few days – in Cornwall, I think – where he came up with the idea of Shaun putting on a show for his friends, inspired by the Farmer having become addicted to Strictly Come Dancing.

“The Farmer’s been teaching himself a fiery tango and he ends up twirling around the stage with Blitzer the dog. There’s even a pastiche of the famous final sequence of Torvill and Dean’s Bolero, where the dog drags the Farmer off stage by the arm.”

David was keen to work with choreographer Bill Deamer. “He hadn’t worked with him before but knew of his work, which is very much tongue in cheek and very humorous,” says Ed.

Deamer is choreographing the finalists in BBC1’s Saturday night talent show So You Think You Can Dance and was brought in by Lord Lloyd-Webber before Christmas to overhaul the choreography for his latest musical, Love Never Dies.

“He did that just before he choreographed Shaun’s Big Show for us and he’s helped to turn the show’s fortunes around to critical acclaim,” says Ed.

“Last year he was the choreographer for Bill Kenwright on Evita and he’s just finished working on the latest production of Jekyll And Hyde starring Marti Pellow. He’s hot property and we’re delighted he’s on board for Shaun. He’s a very clever, funny man.”

The company comprises dancers with a past in Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Billy Elliot and Crazy For You. “One of the key things was that Bill Deamer was choreographing it, so we got the cream of talent available at the time with a great pedigree. To have 11 dancers for a children’s show is a huge company,” says Ed.

“You won’t see anything like this show. It’s a coup de theatre. It’s unique, it’s fun and it’s quirky and it has very high production values and an incredible cast. It’s Matthew Bourne, eat your heart out!”

Shaun’s Big Show, Grand Opera House, York, Wednesday until Sunday. Performances: Wednesday, 7pm; Thursday, 11am; Friday, 2pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11am, 2pm. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or grandoperahouseyork.org.uk

Please note, evening shows from Thursday to Sunday have been cancelled.