AN EDGE-OF-THE-SEAT gothic adventure set on the bleak moors of Cornwall brings a classic novel to life at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud theatre this month.

Jamaica Inn is a new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's evocative tale set on Bodmin Moor at the turn of the 19th century.

It tells the story of Mary Yellan, a spirited young woman who goes to live with her aunt in Cornwall when her mother dies.

But when she arrives, she finds a bleak, isolated inn, and an aunt who is terrified of her husband.

Worse still, strange night-time activities suggest that villagers are mixed up in "wrecking" - luring ships onto the rocks and murdering their crews.

Du Maurier's novel was published and immediately dramatised in 1936 by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Maureen O'Hara, then remade in 1982 with Jane Seymour.

This adaptation has been written by Lisa Evans, an experienced theatre, radio and television writer who grew up in Guildford.

The production is by Salisbury Playhouse, who have built up a national reputation for their work.

The cast includes former Guildford School of Acting student Sara Weymouth as Aunt Patience and Laura Rogers, as Mary Yellan, who has family connections in Surrey.

Performances run from Tuesday, May 25 until Saturday, May 29.

Ticket prices, ranging from £7 to £24.50, are available from the box office on 01483 440000.