A GOTHIC classic by Arthur Conan Doyle will be brought to dramatic life at Otley Courthouse next month.

Northern Stage will present The Hound of the Baskervilles at the arts venue on Saturday, October 5.

Following Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on one of their most famous cases, the story sees the pair head to fog-strewn moors to investigate the death of Charles Baskerville.

They discover that a terrifying beast - which the novel describes as ‘A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen’ - is rumoured to stalk the mists around the remote Baskerville mansion.

Dr Watson, who is sent to the Dartmoor moors first, uncovers a community steeped in folklore, legend and rumour where the line between reality and myth is no longer clear. The apparently impossible things he witnesses causes the doctor to question his eyes and his most trusted faculty - his reason.

Northern Stage’s adaptation of the story follows on from the sell-out success of their production of H G Wells’ The War Of The Worlds.

The theatre company is inviting audiences to ‘wrap up against the chill and venture into the wild’ with them as they follow the mystery. Director Jake Smith said: “It’s great to be directing The Hound of the Baskervilles with four talented, North East actors shape-shifting through this supernatural thriller.

“It’s going to be a visceral theatrical thriller, blending movement, music and the power of storytelling to transport us to the moor - the world we’re creating is rooted in its original Victorian setting but we’re hoping to shake off any dust.

“It’s full of folklore, and the battle between the natural and the supernatural in an isolated environment makes for real tension and danger.”

A Courthouse spokeswoman said: “Northern Stage is the largest producing theatre company in the North East of England, producing original and thought-provoking work across a range of subjects, so we are delighted to be welcoming them to Otley for the first time.”

Originally serialised between 1901 and 1902, The Hound of the Baskervilles has proved to have enduring appeal. It was the third of four crime novels featuring Sherlock Holmes that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , who also penned 56 short stories about the private detective, wrote.

Tickets for the 7.30pm show cost £13. They can be bought by visiting www.otleycourthouse.org.uk, calling (01943) 467466 or popping into the venue on Courthouse Street.