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Emma Pallant, Geoffrey Breton, Janice McKenzie and Adam Barlow

JOHN Van Drutens tale of love, deceit and witchcraft was written in 1950s America when paranoia about Communism was rife.

The British-born playwrights Broadway play was very much of its time and was turned into a film starring James Stewart and Kim Novak.

So why revive it now across the pond in Basford?

Well, the play still has plenty to say about society and the dilemma of career against private life.

Landlady Gillian Holroyd (Emma Pallant) is a mischievous young witch who casts a lovespell on young publisher Anthony Henderson (Geoffrey Breton), who is renting one of her rooms.

She doesnt love him witches, it transpires, have limited human emotions.

But there is certainly an attraction, she is restless, and she wants to take revenge on an old college rival by stealing her man.

Thrown into this mix are Gillians larger-than-life aunt, Miss Holroyd (Janice McKenzie), warlock brother Nick (Adam Barlow) and Sidney Redlitch (Mark Chatterton), a mortal researching a book on the supernatural.

The play is set during the 1970s and the costumes were colourful enough to draw the occasional guffaw from a disbelieving young lad in the audience on opening night.

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A_Lees published Bell, Book and Candle (New Vic Theatre): Review