A new Radio 4 Classic Serial dramatisation of one of the most popular and influential books of the 19th Century. The novel has been adapted by Martyn Wade, whose previous Radio 4 successes have included ‘The Barchester Chronicles’.

Romantic and gothic elements combine in this tightly-constructed thriller which induces excitement and fear in its audience. A mysterious figure in white appears on Hampstead Heath, before the narration moves to a large North Country house. The novel stands apart from usual Victorian costume dramas which tend to carry domestic and moralistic overtones.

Sections of the storyline are taken up by a variety of characters, through whose eyes we experience events. The whole production is being recorded on location, and incidental music will heighten tension and create a filmic quality.