THINK Quentin Tarantino, and transfer the action to a tiny churchyard in the backwaters of Ireland and you will get a taste of what the Bolton Octagon is describing as a "pitch black" comedy.

A Skull in Connemara is written by the award winning Martin McDonagh and was nominated for an Olivier Award for best comedy.

Every Autumn in a tiny churchyard in rural Galway old gravedigger Mick Dowd undertakes the grisly clearance of old corpses to make way for fresh ones.

The shovel now points at the plot of his seven years dead wife, whose bones were buried among whispers of murder. Dark gossip resurfaces in what emerges as a dark whodunnit.

Sean Barrett plays the gravedigger, while Tessa Worlsey makes a return visit to the Bolton Octagon following her performance in All Of You Mine earlier this year, to star as Maryjohnny Rafferty.

She said: "There is some beautiful writing in this play. Martin McDonagh is a young writer who has made quite an impact. It is a very black comedy which has a sort of Quentin Tarantino element to it. There is not so much blood or gore, but it makes you laugh in situations that are quite shocking."

Sean said: "I play the part of a grave digger but there is a problem because of the pressure of space. This is a totally Catholic community who does not believe in cremation, and the graveyard is full . . ."

The play is strong enough to have attracted Sean back to the stage for the first time in seven years. He said: "The last time I was on stage was at the Royal Exchange in Manchester appearing in Poison Pen with Tom Courtenay. The play was a big attraction to come here, but in particular Bolton has a very good name in the business. The town is known by people in the business as a good place to perform in. I had heard a great deal about the Octagon in particular, but never registered it was in the round."

Tessa said: "Being in the round is a fascinating way to work. It is difficult because it forces you into spaces on the stage that are not natural to you. The audience is really near you and I like that because they see you giving a three dimensional performance."

Tessa and Sean have met through radio work. Sean is a main character in the BBC World Service soap, Westway, while Tessa has been a member of the Radio Drama Company three times, and has made more than 200 broadcasts.

She said: "It is lovely. Radio work is very releasing. You can be anything you want to be. You can play all ages and characters of different shapes and sizes -- as it is entirely left to the imagination of the audience. But the microphone is a tough task master."

Sean said: "It is funny, because radio studios are set out for action. If there is a staircase for example, it is there on the set. Radio directors also talk in film terms which is strange."

Despite both being extremely experienced, Tessa and Sean said they still find first nights very nerve-racking.

Tessa said: "There is always that fear, and it stays with you every night."

Sean explained: "The more you play the part the better you get. And you can find that you are playing a role differently at the end of the run, than at the beginning of it.

"You have to remember that the audience is different every night -- and that in itself can keep the nerves jangling."

A Skull in Connemara runs from November 8 to December 1. Tickets are from 520661.