Franz Kafka's labyrinthine stories have often been adapted for the stage and screen. Of them all, The Trial is probably the one with the most immediate impact. There is something about the tale of Josef K., an innocent bank clerk persecuted by a nightmarish legal system, that touches a universal nerve. Perhaps it is conscience making cowards of us all, asking what is innocence, or just a sense of our own vulnerability in a threatening world. For one week commencing next Monday, in the Crypt Arts Centre, the Black Box International Theatre from Kafka's native Prague will perform an adaptation, by Gwen Orel, with a cast of American and Czech actors. Director Nancy Bishop uses masks and puppets to help bring the classic work to life. It could be an experience to savour.