The Hunted - Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Sat 15 Oct 2011

At first glance the new production from acclaimed young person’s company Visible Fictions seems a straightforward, if well-crafted, thriller, perfect for the spooky season. A wolf is at large, preying on the residents of a timeless fairy tale village. One feisty young girl (Kirsty Stuart) longs to be apprenticed to the local hunter (Billy Mack), but following one entreaty too many finds herself trussed up and left out as bait in the middle of the forest. A twist of her kaleidoscope brings her into contact with a teenage boy (Roddy Cairns), seemingly also lost in the forest, but who, it turns out, is not what he seems.

It’s at this point that JC Marshall’s piece – hitherto a quietly menacing mix of 'Red Riding Hood' and 'Hansel & Gretel' – becomes confused, absorbing a time-travel subplot that only comes into focus at the very end. While the pace is on the whole rather languid there are some enjoyably scary moments, with the sense of otherworldliness heightened by an ingenious forest set – created from row after row of hanging lights.

Currently on tour throughout Scotland.