JUST Imagine, an outing that will make the whole family feel as if they’ve had a magical start to their weekend.

That’s exactly what’s been happening at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in the last few years thanks to its terrific series of family shows called simply, Imagine.

And that’s what these family friendly Saturday outings are all about. Not just imagining but experiencing what fun theatre can be and what can happen if you just tune in to your imagination.

Imagine is the series where the theatre opens its Saturday schedule once a month to specialist children’s theatre companies with stories to tell, music to play and young minds to excite.

It is probably five years since the series began but these Saturday theatre treats, largely in the LBT’s Cellar Theatre, are so popular that next season, starting in September, there will be five events on offer, one a workshop and four performances including a world premiere from Tell Tale Hearts, one of the theatre’s resident companies.

Tell Tale Hearts will be back with a piece called Yummm! It’s all to do with how messy meal-times can get and is essentially a dance show performed under a giant sized table. One not to miss.

Moby Duck, the company that combines English and Korean performance skills in a blend of puppetry, storytelling, music and physical theatre, is back too.

They’ll be telling the salutary tale of The Frog Who Couldn’t Hop and one thing’s for sure, it won’t be short on laugh out loud humour.

Noisy Oyster, always a hit at the LBT, are back too and they’ll be telling a brand new story that might just have a few familiar themes and characters.

They’ve taken two much loved stories, The Three Little Pigs and The Three Billy Goats Gruff and somehow put them together.

The outcome is The Three Billy Pigs which starts how else but, Once upon a time there were three little pigs.

Noisy Oyster are always popular and the LBT has wisely opted to up the number of performances to three on what’s set to be a very busy Saturday in October.

As for the final performance of Imagine before Christmas, the clue is in the joke. What do you do when you hear a strange noise inside a piano? Call the Piano Doctor of course!

Garlic Theatre will be bringing the piano doctor to the LBT to sort out a few musical notes which are packing their bags and preparing to run away.

There’s A Monster In My Piano should bring a highly strung monster and a whole heap of fun to the theatre just as the town plays host to Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

The season includes a creative workshop all about the LBT but there’ll be more about that later and there’s still the rest of the current Imagine season to enjoy.

And the next show is tomorrow (July 21) when Topsy Turvy Theatre drops in with a new children’s show, Ruby Flew Too.

Topsy Turvy comprises Claire Hills and Rachel Priest who have been working in theatre for 14 years and know all there is to know about creating theatre that children will love, remember and learn from.

There are performances at 11am and 2pm and the recommended age for the show is three to seven-year-olds.

It’s a show that is about something everyone can relate to. Growing up.

The show is based on the children’s book of the same name by Jonathan Emmett and tells the tale of a shy little duckling who gets left behind by the rest of her web-footed friends.

Ruby is the last duckling to hatch but her mother advises that she will grow up – in her own time.

Wise advice to children about how they should do things in their own time and at their own pace.

But there’s plenty of fun too as Topsy Turvy tell the story with handmade puppets and a clutch of lakeside characters including singing frogs and wicked water rats.

The final show of this summer’s Imagine season runs over two days, August 10 and 11 with performances in the LBT courtyard at 11am and 2pm on both days.

It’s the first time that Imagine has ventured outside so audiences need to take chairs, blankets but hopefully not an umbrella.

The storytelling on those days is from Blunderbus Theatre Company and is all about The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark.

Tickets and advice on what age group each show is suitable for on 01484 430528 or online at www.thelbt.org