CHARLES Dickens could never be described as a man of few words.

Bleak House, the author's ninth novel, was published in 20 monthly installments between 1852 and 1853.

One of his most celebrated works and featuring a vast array of characters and sub-plots, the modern Penguin paperback translation stands at just under 1,000 pages.

So faced with adapting the story for the stage, New Vic artistic director Theresa Heskins was presented with something of a challenge.

In editing it down to a watchable two-and-a-quarter hours, the self-confessed CSI fan chose to concentrate on the story of Inspector Bucket and placed a murder mystery at the heart of her dramatisation.

The first detective to appear in English literature, Theresa's version focuses on Bucket as he investigates the murder of the villainous lawyer Tulkinghorn who is trying to uncover the secret past of Lady Dedlock.

"It's quite a terrifying project because it's so big," says Theresa, who took over her post at the Basford theatre in 2007.

"I don't like to keep the audience in the theatre until they're absolutely exhausted, so I wanted to make sure it was no longer than two-and-a-half hours including the interval.

"I decided to concentrate on the fact that it's the first detective story to be written in English. The crime thriller is a genre that's so popular now.

"But very little theatre has been produced in that vein.

"There is a lot of TV dedicated to it, though and I must confess that I'm a little bit of a CSI fiend. I spend far too much time watching it.

"Bleak House also includes the first example of the use of forensic science. In many ways it reminded me of CSI. So I decided I'd like to share the first ever detective story with the audience.

"The murder mystery aspect became very clear and gave me the chance to cut the novel."

In what will be a first for Staffordshire theatre-goers, the audience will have the chance to talk to the characters and explore the evidence before the play begins, in a so-called 'promenade' event.

The award-winning New Vic design team has recreated some of the novel's key scenes in the theatre's building, allowing people to immerse themselves in the world of Dickensian England before each performance.

As well as the 11-strong cast, schoolchildren from the New Vic's education project, Borderlines, will also be taking part.

Theresa says: "It's something that we've never done before at the New Vic and to my knowledge, we've never done it before in Staffordshire.

"It's very popular in London and more recently in Manchester."

"In cutting the novel down I was afraid that we'd lose some of its epic scale. However, having the pre-show event means that the audience really has that epic experience.

"We've converted some of the secret, backstage areas of the New Vic into the locations."

Building on the success of Theresa's previous adaptation of Dickens's Great Expectations, Bleak House is the latest in a long line of projects for the London-born director.

Earlier in the year she was included on the Cultural Leadership Programme's national list of 'Women To Watch' in recognition of her work, and she is also currently adapting Wives And Daughters for Radio 4.

"I love it here," says Theresa.

"I came to the New Vic because I thought it was one of the best spaces with one of the best audiences in the country and I haven't been disappointed.

"People seem to be excited by the range of work we produce.

"One of the things that I'm keen to do as artistic director is to make sure that we have the theatrical experiences that people in the bigger metropolitan areas get. There should be no holds barred in terms of us making sure that happens."

Bleak House is at the New Vic Theatre from tomorrow until July 24.

Audiences will be able to experience the interactive promenade 30 minutes before the performance begins.

Tickets for Bleak House cost £8.50 to £17.50 (with concessions available) and can be booked by calling the New Vic's box office on 01782 717962.