Horror is perhaps less bloodthirsty and more poetic than one might have expected but don’t go without being prepared for a few nasty jolts.

It’s an "old dark house" tale, with more than a hint of horror films and aliens and ghost stories. A rich mime and dance style coupled with a set that seems to have a mind of its own helps to sidestep a simple working-out of clichés.

A woman and two men come to an old house on a stormy night. Is this a return to the past? It’s not long before the house starts behaving strangely and objects like books and TV sets take on a life of their own.

A manic ghost woman starts to menace the trio. A repressed and sombrely violent family appear.

What begins as visual jokes become horrible realities and there is a certain amount of blood. The old theatrical tradition of Grand Guignol comes to mind: gore on stage with an eye to realism.

However, this show is much more playful and urbane than a mere parade of the ghastly. There’s a suggestion of the woman coming to sort out her own past and to lay to rest the violence of her family. There’s a strong thread of sisterhood.

There’s a blurring of past and present. A bride and groom arrive – are they the father and mother of the family? There’s revenge and perhaps resolution for the daughters, the sisters.

The teamwork of the eight players is such that it is hard to single out anyone. The powerful ensemble of Luc van Esch, Yannick Greweldinger, Andrea Beugger, Silke Hundertmark, Sofieke de Kater, Gwen Langenberg, Thomas van Ouwerkerk and Reinier Schimmel creates a dark world of memories. The imagination and physicality of Philippe Genty’s work comes to mind.

The set is an entity on its own and perhaps the real star of the piece. Designed by Douwe Hibma and director Jakop Ahlbom with assistance from Remco Gianotten, it provides a deeply atmospheric downstage sitting room complete with voracious furniture and a dangerous closet, and a couple of upstage levels that become outside windows, a kitchen and a very sinister bathroom.

Between the special effects, quick changes and the blood, stage management must be a nightmare and that team is to be congratulated.

The music and sound (Wim Conradi with Bauke Moerman) reinforce the edgy atmosphere and the lighting (design by Yuri Schreuders) is full of the right kind of surprises.

If your taste tends to the Gothic and old films and dark and stormy nights performed with style and insight then Horror is for you.