It was devised, written and directed by Christine Edzard and produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin.

The music by Giacchino Rossini was arranged by John Dalby, and the choreography was by Frederick Ashton.

[1] The stories the film is based on are The Kitchen, in which household objects come to life, The Little Match Girl, which updates Andersen's tale to the East End of London in the late 1970s, and Little Ida, with dance featuring members of the Royal Ballet.

[3] It was the second collaboration between Goodwin and Edzard, who is known for her meticulous filmmaking, often based on Victorian English sources, following their entry into film in 1971 with the screenplay of The Tales of Beatrix Potter.

An AllMovie.com reviewer described the film's Little Match Girl as suffering "an impecunious existence in London's East End", and in the Little Ida story, in which "a love of dancing is embodied in the performances of the two dancers from the Royal Ballet", "dancers take on the roles of garden variety vegetables in undoubtedly one of their more unusually costumed performances.