THE upper-class Victorian household could have created for the writer of gothic-tinged thrillers.

Steeped in an atmosphere of secrecy and containing the two separate worlds of servants and masters, it's an environment brimming with dramatic possibilities.

Writer Brian Clemens, creator of bizarre 60s TV series The Avengers, exploits every one of them in this spine-tingling mystery thriller.

Emma Cranwell (Clare McGlinn) finds herself in a Dublin hospital but has no recollection of her past or how she came to be there.

Her parents, including her mother played by Liza Goddard, finally discover her whereabouts and take her back home. But as they begin to rebuild their lives, certain pieces of Emma's past do not seem to fit.

She is plagued by flashbacks and has an unexplained fear of knives and bells.

All the essential thriller elements are here - including a hefty inheritance, a suspicious butler and late-night gentleman callers.

Behind the unanswered questions lurks a menacing mystery that finally erupts into horror.

Monday May 19 until Saturday May 24, Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke. Tickets: from £8.50. Box office: 01256 465566.