If the current muggy weather carries on into September, then the best way to beat the barometer will be to head for the river at Hampton Wick and Horla Theatre Company's Sleepless Nights.

The evening consists of three tales of scandal, adultery, passion, murder and the supernatural, reveal a fascinating account of life in fin de siecle France.

These three new adaptations of Maupassant stories each has its own surprising twist or turn. The Bedroom tells the story of a young wife who confronts her husband with a strange demand to which he is compelled to surrender, despite its apparent absurdity.

In the farcical The Conservatory, dormant passions are awakened, while The Horla is a masterful tale of vampire-like ghouls and fear — the ghosts within, which, like regrets and memories, draw the life of a man.

All the stories are told with an ensemble of four performers, using story-telling, mime and physical theatre. Sleepless Nights is directed by Alistair Green, designed by Tracy Waller, with lighting by Ben Pickersgill and images by Chris Cooper.

Sleepless Nights runs from Sept. 17 to Oct. 5.

—By Theatrenow