Something Wicked This Way Comes

A sugar-free Hallowe'en treat that won't rot anyone's teeth, this co-production by Catherine Wheels and the NTS is stronger on style than substance. It does, however, feature some delicious scenes.

Based on Ray Bradbury's novel of the same name, the play tells of two 13-year-old boys, Will and Jim, who get caught up in a battle between good and evil when a sinister carnival comes to their small town.

The plot is more Dr Who than Scooby Doo, and while the constraints of the adaptation means explanations that are no doubt detailed in the novel are a little rushed here, there's never any doubt about which side the audience should be on.

Supernatural scenes pose a challenge for director Gill Robertson ' characters become older and younger, a witch flies over rooftops, and a mechanical carousel plays a crucial role. Clever use of video projections, sophisticated aerial techniques and good old-fashioned imaginative stagecraft are combined to dazzling effect.

If the first half lacks momentum it's possibly due to the one-note performances asked of Michael Gray and Patrick Mulvey as the two boys, who seem a little too excitable for early teens, even by 1940s standards, and repeat more or less the same exchange as they bound around the set.

However, the arrival of Andrew Clark's menacing Mr Dark, complete with perfect Southern drawl and a pleasingly crazed glint in his eye, raises the stakes. And when Jennifer Paterson's Dust Witch gets into her stride, there are some thrilling moments, enhanced by the cello and piano of Robin Mason and David Paul Jones.

Karen Tennent's set and costumes are fantastic, with some nicely grotesque touches including make-up and masks, but the portrayal of the 'freaks' who have sold their souls to the carnival is ill-judged. The association of spasmodic movements with negative character traits may be regularly made in the school playground, but it should not be reinforced.