Theatre / The Moors, by Jen Silverman, directed by Joel Horwood. At Mill Theatre, Fyshwick, until April 12. Reviewed by ALANNA MACLEAN.

The Moors is a deranged romp through a world that echoes the Brontes. If you know your Jane Eyre and your Wuthering Heights you will feel quite at home.

There’s only two sisters, the machiavellian Agatha (Andrea Close) and the diary obsessed Huldey (Rachel Howard), but there’s also the maid Marjory (Steph Roberts) who either has multiple personalities or is the one actor playing multiple maids.

Draped around the floor is a large but sometimes articulate Mastiff (Chris Zuber) who meets a charming Moorhen (Petronella van Tienen) for a romantic encounter in the animal world. And then Emilie the archetypal plucky governess (Sarah Nathan-Truesdale) arrives.

That’s odd, since there doesn’t seem to be any child in the house for her to be governess to. Someone called Branwell is reputed to be locked in the attic but is never seen. Emilie at least introduces fresh blood to the household and is soon vigorously involved in its intrigues.

Which it would be a pity to reveal. Enough to say that murder and bursting into song and romance and the inevitability of nature red in tooth and claw all play a part on a set that evokes The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, while the costumes remain those of the Brontes’ times.

Aloma Barnes’ production design is made even more  surreal by Stefan Wronski’s angular lighting, particularly late in the piece.

The experienced cast carry all this off with the right degree of seriousness and intensity.

The Moors is eccentric and funny and occasionally tragic and well worth a trip out to Dairy Flat to the compact little playing space that is The Mill Theatre.