IT'S some people's idea of pure terror, fumbling blindly in the dark, not sure of who is who and what is what.

And in Wait Until Dark -- playing at the Blackpool Grand Theatre until Saturday -- the audience may be left well and truly in the black stuff plotwise, but there are still thrills, the odd scream and a light in the darkness in the form of former Coronation Street star Chloe Newsome.

The labyrinthine plot revolves around a blind woman (expertly under played by Miss Newsome) and three petty crooks trying to find a toy doll in her apartment they believe has been used to smuggle heroin into the country by her husband. The crooks use confidence tricks to try and lull her into telling where she has hidden it. But it is not that simple -- because although she is blind she sees straight through their ploys.

The rest of the cast play well and keep the runaway plot on track, guiding you to the light at the end of the tunnel (or in fact the darkness, as you will see) and managed to make the audience jump several times in the final climactic scenes.

With a plot so shady and dark the most shocking thing was Emma Gannon's tights!

A ludicrously bright pink pair of sheer monstrosities that clashed so badly with the rest of her outfit they were clearly picked out by Chloe Newsome's character.

Wait Until Dark has performances at 7.30pm every night, except Friday at 8pm, and a matinee on Saturday at 2.30pm. Call the box office on 290190 for tickets from £11.

PETER McLEAN