When news that Bingley Little Theatre was planning to stage the British premiere of A Night Of Dark Intent reached playwright L Don Swartz in New York, he asked for a copy of the poster.

Mr Swartz, who penned the taut thriller, contacted the society to say he was thrilled it had chosen his play.

The production, running at Bingley Arts Centre from Monday to February 23, is set in Chestnut Hollow on the outskirts of New York in October, 1978. Six women are spending the weekend together in an abandoned house. The group consists of a psychic with alarming powers, a seemingly reliable church secretary, three women with theatrical connections, and a hitchhiker picked up en route.

What brings them together is the desire to unravel the secret of two grisly murders that took place at the house 13 years earlier.

As the story unfolds the women discover that the killer has just escaped from a nearby asylum and may well be heading home. When the weather takes a turn for the worse, it’s time for the audience to grip their seats.

“I read this play and was hooked,” says Mervyn Button. “It has quite a few twists and turns, everything a good thriller should have, and we have added a few more to keep you guessing all the way.”

For tickets, ring (01274) 567983.