From the moment the lights come on, it is clear that something is not right in the Manningham household. Set in Victorian Britain, the 1938 Patrick Hamilton play is where the term ‘gaslighting’ originates from- and it does not take long to work out why. Domineering Jack Manningham [Rupert Young] has psychologically manipulated his wife Bella [Kara Tointon] into doubting her sanity, in order to achieve his own aims. When a peculiar retired police officer [Keith Allen] with an acute interest in the life of the Manninghams unexpectedly arrives, this thrilling play truly commences. While the play begins quite slowly, a sudden twist reveals why the time for heavy character development was necessary. Kara Tointon portrays the maddened Bella with credibility and precision. Her chilling, stilted stage speech contrasts perfectly with the arrogance of Young's patriarchal Jack. That said, for a character of such turbulence in the play, Young’s portrayal of Jack is understated in the first