SADDLEWORTH Players will bring Rosamunde Pilcher’s novel The Shell Seekers to the stage at Delph.
The Shell Seekers is a play adapted from the 1987 novel by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham.
It will be performed by the Players at Millgate Arts Centre in Delph from tomorrow to April 4 – except on Monday.
The Shell Seekers was first presented as a play in 2003 at the Royal Theatre in Northampton.
The play starred Stephanie Cole in the leading role of Penelope Keeling – which she repeated in a national tour of the play.
Saddleworth Players members saw it at the Lowry theatre and an immediate decision was made that they would perform the piece as soon as it was released.
The story follows Penelope Keeling, recovering from a heart attack in her Cotswold cottage and looking back on her life, longing for Cornwall where her father painted ‘The Shell Seekers’ – a picture which threatened to tear her family apart.
It is a story of love, courage, determination and the passions which held a family together for three generations.
Taking the role of Penelope will be Anne Wright and her three children will be played by Edwina Rigby, Sandie Beswick and Chris Williams.
Also appearing will be Sam Al Hamdani and Alison Lobley, as a young couple, plus Jose Whitehead, John Gillespie, Frank Boocock and Paul Bradbury, who is back after several years’ sabbatical.
The play is being directed by Miranda Parker with a challenging set design by Sally McKee, taking in 33 scenes, seven locations and two time zones – 1942 and 1982.
Lighting and sound are in the hands of Brian Hilton, Chris Stos-Gale and Luke Settle, with stage direction from Ken Wright.
Each performance will start at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £7 or £3.50 for students. You can book by calling 01457 874644 from Tuesday to Friday between 7.30pm and 9pm.
Or you can email bookings@saddleworthplayers.org.uk
