For its Brighton Festival offering, the New Venture Theatre has looked to the talented pen of the great American playwright Arthur Miller and chosen what is undoubtedly his finest work.

This play is about the notorious witch trials in Salem in 1692, brought about through the hysteria created by adolescent girls.

It tells of greed and superstition and the bearing of false witness against neighbours, with those charged with witchcraft saving themselves by denouncing innocent people.

To do justice to such a great play, first-rate acting is needed and, luckily, this production is blessed with a highly talented cast.

Right from the opening atmospheric prologue, devised by director Mark Wilson, the audience is kept on the edge of their seats. Tension is maintained throughout the play until it reaches a charged and emotional climax.

The main protagonists in the action are John Proctor, a bluff and honest farmer and his former servant, Abigail Williams, who, being in love with him, accuses his wife of witchcraft and sets in motion a tragic chain of events.

As Proctor, Andy Costello is superb and, along with Tessa Pointing as his wife, creates a moving and heart-wrenching scene towards the end of the play.