THE message on the front cover of the programme is clear enough: "What you witness must be kept secret". This gagging order makes life difficult from those of us charged with reviewing this latest site-specific production for the enterprising Theatre Mill.

What can be said is that producer Rebecca Stafford has uncovered yet another gem of a venue for the latest production from the company whose past shows have been staged in the Mansion House, Guildhall and Council Chamber to name but three of the city's unusual theatre spaces.

York Medical Society's lecture hall makes an intimate - sit in the front row and your feet rest on the stage - and atmospheric space for Nick Lane's splendid version of Mary Shelley's horror story. Lane also directs a cast of three in this making of a monster story set in a university under siege during the Austrian-Prussian war in 1866.

Richard Keightley brings out all the torment of crazed Dr Frankenstein, who is persuaded by threats and drugs to relive his motives for attempting to bring the dead back to life. Viktoria Kay and Zach Lee offer neat sketches of everyone else in the story as they nimbly flit from character to character in this story of medical mayhem.

Lane also directs, conjuring up several shock moments but delving more deeply into the complicated psychological chaos suffered by those attempting to breath new life into old bodies.

Until 25 February. Box office 01904 623568. Online yorktheatreroyal.co.uk Further information theatre-mill.co.uk

Steve Pratt