★★★★

At a time when 1930s nostalgia is gripping television audiences across the country, it's a wonder that it's taken so long for Gaslight to reappear on the stage.

Penned by Hassocks-born Patrick Hamilton, the tale of suspense and seat-gripping drama is set in a Victorian household shrouded in secrets and mystery. Central to it all is Kara Tointon, of Eastenders, Strictly Come Dancing and The Halcyon fame.

Tointon is the downtrodden Mrs Mannigham, a woman who does everything she can to please her controlling husband Jack (Rupert Young). But, a failure to control the ongoing onset of madness means she is driving him away and is confined much of the time to her own room.

It is only when a mysterious former detective (Keith Allen) turns up on her doorstep, that her world is turned upside down and she begins to stir her from her mad ways. Hamilton's script and story stands the test of time and has the audience at Brighton's Theatre Royal gripped throughout.

This was largely due to the performances of Tointon and the irrepressible Allen, who lit up the stage with his commanding and comedic delivery. There are the occasional lulls, which is inevitable with shows over two hours in length.

But on a dark, damp February evening, Gaslight is a beacon for theatre-goers looking for a show which is entertaining and gripping from start to finish.