IT’S an idyllic summer in 1914 rural Lancashire. Excitement is building for Wakes week; a rest from field and mill and a celebration of the Rushbearing Festival with singing, courting, drinking and dancing.

The looming war barely registers... but it will...

An August Bank Holiday Lark is a gentle, deeply moving drama poised at the tipping point of war. Intensely nostalgic and emotionally rich, this is a story that will both entertain and tug at your heartstrings.

Through the lens of traditional rural life you’ll follow the stories of folk with colour, character and charm and witness their personal transitions from exuberance and touching naivety to a profound and devastating loss of innocence.

Performed by the charismatic cast of actor-musicians that is Northern Broadsides (producers of A Government Inspector and The Grand Gesture) Northern Broadsides is a company of northern actors with genuine heart and soul who perform in their natural voices and have an indisputable command of the language and poetry of classic drama. You will soon come to see why they are multi-award winning: recognised by audiences and critics alike as one of the finest national touring theatre companies in the land.

Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, Tuesday-Saturday, May 27 to 31. Evenings, Tuesday to Saturday, 7.45pm, matinees Thursday and Saturday, 2pm.

Tickets: £13-£28 available from the box office on 01242 572573 or online at www.everymantheatre.org.uk