Vienna's cobbled streets and dark passageways provide the backdrop to Graham Greene's morality tale, The Third Man.

The story is best remembered from the 1949 film adaptation starring Orson Welles in the central role of Harry Lime and now Red Shift Theatre Company is bringing it to the stage.

An air of mystery, intrigue and suspicion permeates the film as Vienna struggles with its identity in the early post-war years. The black market is rife and mysterious disappearances and violence seep through the once-proud city.

Rated by many as one of the greatest films ever, Red Shift has a hard task emulating its success on the stage. Director Jonathan Holloway is no stranger to literary adaptions, however, and in the past has tackled Dostoyevsky, Dickens and George Eliot.

"Adaptations of Graham Greene have been very succesful on film, less so in theatre," he accepts. "As people's reputations grow over the years, you can lose touch with the roots of what made them popular in their day."

So rather than copying the film noir look, Holloway uses theatrical tricks to recreate the essential tension and drive of the story.

Movable compartments on stage hide or reveal the actors as the plot unfurls. Projected images provide clues to the action and the distinctive zither soundtrack to the film is replaced by a new score by Ross Brown.

Technical trickery and solid casting underline this bold adaption which should prove that The Third Man is not defined by the film alone.

Start 7.30pm, Tickets £12, Call 01273 709709