THE Cotswold Players 2016-17 season begins at The Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud with The Female of the Species from October 12-15 at 7.30pm.

This hugely comic play by Australian playwright, Joanna Murray-Smith, was first performed in Melbourne 10 years ago.

The play is a satire about celebrity feminists, with a plot loosely inspired by a real-life incident in 2000, when author Germaine Greer was held at gunpoint in her own home by a disturbed student.

Margot Mason is a feminist writer suffering from writer's block.

Molly, a deranged former student of Margot's, arrives unexpectedly at her country home with a gun and handcuffs Margot to her desk.

She blames Margot for warping her mother’s mind. Then, firstly, Tess, Margot’s daughter and then Bryan, her son-in-law, Frank a macho taxi-driver and finally Theo, her publisher, arrive to comment on Margot’s feminist failings.

There are many wickedly funny moments in a play that presents reactionary amusement in abundance.

The Female of the Species is the directorial debut at the Playhouse for Hannah McDonald.

Having studied Community Theatre in Newcastle-on-Tyne she joined the Players in 2010 after a long break from the stage and has acted in several plays since then.

Hannah’s cast is a strong team of experienced actors, led by Jenny Nixon in the role of Margot and introducing Christina Heward-Mills as her daughter, Tess.

The play contains very strong language and sexual references.

  •  The Female of The Species will show at The Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud from October 12-15.
  • Tickets, priced at £13 (with concessions), are available online at cotswoldplayhouse.co.uk/tickets or by calling 0333 666 3366.