Take one fading Georgian manor house. Add fleeting film images, spooky whispers and costumed, shadowy figures and the scene is set for a chilling experience.

This is not a ride at a theme park, however.

The venue is Stanmer House in Stanmer Park, Brighton, and visitors are in fact theatre goers viewing a radical play at the Brighton Festival.

Don't Look Back, based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the perils of looking back into the past, eschews the traditional theatre setting in favour of a much bigger stage.

Director and creator Tristan Sharpe, who runs Brighton-based theatre company dreamthinkspeak, said the surroundings were an important part of the play.

He said: "I didn't want to just recreate the play on stage as it would be so difficult to compete with the original.

"The architecture is a vital part of the play and it creates a much more personal experience for the audience.

"It's very dreamlike and the audience can create their own experience.

"It feels great to make use of such a beautiful building."

Although it is now being renovated, Stanmer House has been disused for almost a quarter of a century, having previously been put to a number of different uses.

It has been the seat for the aristocracy, a billeting house for soldiers, an administrative centre for Sussex University and is currently an annual setting for a traditional horse and carriage trial sometimes attended by Prince Phillip.

Tristan, 41, said he was surprised at the state of the building.

He said: "It is actually in very good structural condition and we have had fewer difficulties setting up than I thought.

"We searched a long time for the right space so it was great when this became available."

Instead of a seated audience, up to three people leave at five-minute intervals for an hour-long tour of the building.

Tristan said: "It can be hard work for the actors but then it ties in with the idea of perpetual repetition, which is a feature of the play.

"There is a mixture of home-grown talent, which is good for the festival. We are very blessed to have such a big festival which is known throughout the world."

The play is on until Sunday, apart from tonight, and journeys start from the Gardner Arts Centre in Falmer.

To book, call 01273 709709.