Review:Haunting Julia (Theatre Royal, Brighton, until Saturday, December 8)

Fans of Alan Ayckbourn have had the chance in the past couple of years to see revivals of his works ranging from classic farce to sci-fi, containing variously his trademark wit, commentary on suburban middle classes, or exploration of contemporary themes.

In Haunting Julia, first produced in 1994 and inspired by the nerve-jangling theatrical experience of The Woman in Black, you can expect things to go bump in the night, as well as having your emotions toyed with and your nightmares fed for several weeks.

Ayckbourn has masterfully created a chilling ghost story that is also a tense, claustrophobic drama – but in a way it’s unfortunate that publicity compares the piece to Woman in Black as it is a completely different creature, far more subtle and with the characters given greater psychological depth.