A MUSICAL commentary on some of the most brutal murders London has seen is the chilling latest offering from the Manifest Theatre Group.

In 1888, from August to November, Whitechapel was plagued with five murders of prostitutes who had been forced to sell their bodies because they were living on the breadline.

The spree has been attributed to Jack the Ripper, and many theories have been suggested as to his real identity, which more than 200 years later, remains a mystery.

At the time, the only fleeting respite available to Londoners was in their brief visits to the music hall.

The musical, written by Ron Pember and Denis de Marne, shows what life was like for the people who had to live through the petrifying time.

Group spokeswoman June Wheeler is looking forward to the production.

“It is an exciting time at the Manifest Theatre because our rehearsals for the musical have been rip-roaring nights full of fun and song,” she said. “Recently, newspaper articles came out stating Jack the Ripper was a 23-year-old Polish immigrant named Aaron Kominski, which has made it even more interesting."

The play runs from Monday to November 1 at 7.30pm at the Manifest Theatre, in Oxford Road, Manningtree. Tickets cost £7, plus £2 membership, and are available from the box office, which is open on Mondays and Wednesday between 7.30pm and 9pm, and from 10.30am to noon on Saturdays on 01206 391309 or by e-mailing info@manifest