Felicity Harvest, from the Arts Council England South East, said: "I have spent many excellent evenings in the Theatre Royal but the most memorable so far has been at DreamThinkSpeak's wonderful Underground, a version of Crime and Punishment.

"There were so many things that were great about it, including the fact that this was not a show which one viewed on the stage, but one which required you to explore the whole of this fascinating old building, from cellars to dressing rooms.

"The characters in the drama flitted past you, acting out the iconic moments of the book, in a seemingly random order and speaking in a range of languages.

"Yet the essence of the story was preserved, enhanced even, relying not on linear narrative or language but on the compelling power of the actor to communicate joy, fear, longing and hatred.

"I can no longer cross the downstairs foyer without seeing it peopled by ghostly men with suitcases, nor sit in the circle bar without seeing a wronged, veiled woman pass by along the balcony.

"Truly the stuff of which memories are made, and it made me very proud of the Arts Council's role in supporting not only this work, but the Brighton Festival of which it formed a part."