Veronica's Room, Waterside Theatre Company, Waterside Theatre, Holbury

THEMES of incest and murder were tackled with skill and panache in this gripping performance of Ira Levin's Veronica's Room.

First-time directors Claire Baldwin and Jenny Roberts created just the right amount of tension to keep the audience glued to their seats until the very end.

Anna Young (Girl) took us on an emotional roller coaster superbly portraying the total confusion of her situation and then descending into terror as the intentions of her captors become evident. Francine Lawrence (Woman) switched from friendly old maid to schizophrenic "mother" in a convincing performance.

The simple but effective set harboured the sinister secrets of Veronica's room and gave the company an excellent space to play out the psychological horror.

Lighting (Dave Edwards) and sound (Chris Hague) were excellent and did much to enhance the mood and atmosphere of this play.