Rebecca @ The Lowry, Salford

If you were fortunate enough to catch Dead Dog in a Suitcase last year, you will be familiar with the work of Cornish storytellers Kneehigh. Missed out? It is time to get yourself acquainted.

A British theatre company with an international profile, Kneehigh’s multi-disciplinary performances are characterised by their vigour, presenting popular and challenging theatre with a joyful anarchy true to their name.

Embarking on a UK tour with a 21st-century retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic masterpiece, Rebecca, Kneehigh inject their usual charisma into a dusty classic.

We all know the story: following the mysterious death of his first wife, Maxim de Winter returns to Manderley with his new young bride. Surrounded by memories of the glamorous Rebecca, the new Mrs De Winter is consumed by jealousy. Setting out to uncover the secrets of the house – fiercely guarded by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs Danvers – our nameless heroine finds all is not as it appears…

The subject of numerous adaptations, including the 1940 Hitchcock/Olivier psychological thriller of the same name, Rebecca is a story that continues to entice; and Emma Rice’s production (Rice both adapts and directs) promises Cornish romance and theatrical magic.

The narrative may seem a little dark for such a playful company, but generous helpings of humour and gleeful physicality provide an interesting contemporary aesthetic. Quoted as pinpointing sex, secrets and complex female characters as her inspiration for adaptation, Rice is clearly a woman to be trusted. There is also talk of a badly behaved puppet dog. I can’t say more than that.