A MAN, seemingly close to fainting, had to be helped from the auditorium during the gory climax to this story of forbidden love.

Seeing a man cut out his lover’s heart and hold it triumphantly in the air, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

But then again, neither is the introduction of a couple of old Hit Parade songs into this Jacobean drama, here splendidly updated to Sixties’ Italy. The songs are cheekily appropriate – Anyone Who Had A Heart and Secret Love.

The latter refers to the key plot point in John Ford’s 17th Century play that Giovanni loves his sister, Annabella, and she reciprocates his feeling.

They sleep together, happy to have consummated their love without feelings of guilt.

Of course, they have to pay.

They can’t get away with such a sin, no matter how heartfelt they feel about each other.

Jonathan Munby’s strikinglydesigned production has an epic, operatic feel perfectly in tune with the heightened emotions of the young couple.

Newcomers – as in hardly out of drama school – Damien Molony and Sara Vickers take the leading roles, although their mature performances don’t suggest they’re at the start of their careers.

There’s also a standout performance from Sally Dexter, a terrific singer and great actress, as a woman on whom a terrible revenge is carried out. If you thought weddings in soaps went horribly wrong, wait until you see what happens here.

Munby’s large figure of Christ on the cross dominating the background has an epic feel, perfectly in tune with the heightened emotions of the young couple.