Thrse Raquin (Murder by the Seine)

Haymarket theatre, Until February 7

IF YOU thought EastEnders' Barry Evans taking a forced fall off a cliff at the hands of Janine Butcher was dramatic, you ain't seen nothing yet!

In fact, there's a lot more murder, mayhem and histrionics going on in our very own Haymarket theatre.

Emile Zola explained himself in his preface to the novel that he "had only one desire: given a highly-sexed man and an unsatisfied woman, to uncover the animal side of them, throw them together in a violent drama and note down, with scrupulous care, the sensations and actions".

And that's exactly the story of Mme Raquin. In this, the final play in the acclaimed French season, six actors return in what is the most impressively stylised production yet.

Phoebe Soteriades plays the titular role, a young woman trapped in a marriage to the snivelling Camille (Tom Bevan) in 1860s Paris.

He's a sickly and mollycoddled man, meaning that the moment Thrse lays her eyes on his confident friend Laurent (Matthew Rixon), she knows she has set out on a path which will ultimately - and inevitably - end tragically.

This play demonstrates what can be achieved by consummate professionals at the top of their game. The flawless direction, music, lighting and especially the set design have come together to create an environ which is really quite special.

An audience cannot help but be instantly intrigued on entering the theatre, when they see rain is falling onto the surface of the stage - but that's only the beginning of the H2O magic. The omnipresent rain adds that essential element of pathetic fallacy, while the soundtrack, with its dripping, discordant wedding bells and dramatic "dongs" had me gripping my seat in fear.

A complicated plot has been converted into an easily digestible watch through the multi-narrative strategy wherein each character explains his or her own feelings and responses.

Each individual has been well cast, and I must mention that Bevan, who was rather more anonymous in previous plays, is simply wonderful here as Camille. His beautifully pathetic smiles at his mother were a joy to behold.

As the addendum to the title explains, yes, there's a murder. But what a stunningly theatrical murder it is! It's the equivalent of an effect seen on a stage in the West End, but I can say no more - you'll just have to go and see it for yourself.

All in all, Thrse Raquin is a wonderfully visual and sensually violent experience. If it isn't lovers embracing in a sea of white, it's the haunting face of the dead or the lingering smoke around the stage.

Impressive stuff - but it's not for kids.