IMITATING the Dog's latest visit to Liverpool is a bitter-sweet one, a case of 'the show must go on' for this innovative company.

Sadly, one member of the Frankenstein cast suffered an injury and had to pull out of this much-anticipated two-hander co-production with Leeds Playhouse.

Anthony Quick - one of three co directors - made a suitably quick intro to Thursday's first performance to say how much they always look forward to playing Liverpool.- this is their fourth production in five years.

They certainly have a fan base here and always deliver unique and ambitious interpretations - especially on classic stories.

Challenging and risk taking are words that always arise when they get their creative teeth into a novel using digital technology along the way.

Accomplished actress Morven Macbeth here stepped in (script-in-hand) and she did a sterling job alongside Nedum Okonyia.

Unfortunately a lot of planned choreography had to be re-directed..

The stressed out modern day couple are expecting their first child and we hear them dissect the very meaning of 'love ' in all its shapes and forms.

In a stark apartment they discuss hopes and dreams and responsibilities in a broken world.

Outside below them in the street they talk about a homeless man, There are times when you do not know where the dialogue is taking you.

And then . . .

A radio playing a 'book of the week' version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein completes the picture as the two characters out dip in and dip out of the novel.

it's a clever piece of parallel storytelling.

Meanwhile a stark set littered with monitors and flashing tubular lights (be warned) hang from the ceiling creating a claustrophobic scenario featuring a snow blizzard and back projections.

It is an all out attack on your senses as we imagine a ship and a lighthouse and experience frequent Hammer-horror styled lightning strikes.

This is a Gothic meets present day psychological thriller.

It would be unfair - due to the cast injury problem - to give it a star rating - suffice say, always expect the unexpected when you see Imitating the Dog and their brand of passionate and deeply intense storytelling . . .

Until Saturday.