GREENWICH theatre's production of Dr Faustus is a cocktail of horror, violence, lust, greed and dark humour.

Performed in front of a library backdrop, the play itself is a horror show of blood, ghosts, good, evil and even a cameo from the Seven Deadly Sins.

The marvellous Gareth Kennerley played the exhausting role of Faustus, a German scholar who has studied pretty much everything, but remains depressed and unfulfilled.

Yet stirred by a desire to learn the dark arts of magic, Faustus ends up selling his soul to the devil and in return gains special powers, courtesy of his demonic sidekick Mephistopheles.

This spooky and chillingly comical spirit first appears above the stage set as a giant monster, before remaining on stage throughout as a friar with a stone white face.

In what is an essentially dark play, it has its fair share of laughs, with scenes often plunging from the sublime to the ridiculous, especially where the character of the clown is concerned.

While Faustus’s magic conjures up the spirits of Alexander the Great, the clown is turned into an ape, and his friend a dog, much to the amusement of the crowd.

And if that’s not enough, he even tries to shove a candle up someone’s backside.

There are shocks and frights throughout, such as when Faustus asks Mephistopheles for a wife, only to remove her wedding veil to see the face of the devil and a man’s crotch beneath the gown.

Sudden and dramatic appearances by the devil, in various different but equally terrifying guises, startle the audience throughout, maintaining an atmosphere of suspense and impending doom.

That a 16th century play can still grip and terrify in the 21st century is a fine tribute to the cast and crew involved.

Like Faustus, playwright Christopher Marlowe, who spent his creative years in south east London, met a similarly violent end to his life in Deptford in 1593.

Some theories say he was murdered while others claim he was killed in a drunken brawl.

He is thought to be buried in an unmarked grave in St Nicholas churchyard.

Doctor Faustus is currently showing at Greenwich Theatre until October 16.

Visit greenwichtheatre.org.uk/cms/ for more information and to book tickets.