Conn Artists Theatre Company visits the Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham on Wednesday 6th April with a fresh and uplifting reimagining of J.M. Barrie's play Mary Rose.

The production tells the story of an old Sussex manor house that is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who once lived there.

Mary Rose is thrillingly revived in the trademark style of Conn Artists Theatre Company following on from their successful tours of Silas Marner, The Four Men and A Perfect Likeness.

The haunting and, at times, creepy action, is performed with an ensemble cast of five actors and uses some of Barrie's own stage directions as interwoven pieces of narrative accompanied by original music and traditional folk songs.

J.M. Barrie is most famous for having written Peter Pan or the boy who wouldn't grow-up, which was once a regular feature of the London theatrical scene at Christmas.

Barrie was a prolific novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and Edwardian period with other major plays including The Admirable Crichton, Quality Street and Dear Brutus.

Mary Rose was first staged at London's Haymarket Theatre in 1920, written after World War I and the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-20, and is an exploration of love, loss and hope that spans a time period of over 30 years.

Actor and producer Ross Muir said: "Mary Rose doesn't realise her life has past and that she's frozen in time and almost as the opposite to Peter Pan, Barrie is not exploring the adventures of children who disappear off to Neverland so much as the loss that is felt by those of us who have been left behind after they are gone."

This adaptation of Mary Rose will be directed by Nick Young, whose credits include working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he worked alongside distinguished performers such as Dame Helen Mirren and Patrick Stewart.

On Mary Rose, director Nick Young said: "J.M. Barrie is one of the most brilliant writers of stage directions as he understands characters so richly; working from this text has been a really enthralling journey.

"We chose a story that we wanted to resonate with our audience members, as they are at the heart of the work we do. We've enriched the tale by embedding our own unique spin on the narrative that stays true to the original text whilst exploring feelings that uplift you with hope, as well as tackling some of the darker sides of the piece - we simply can't wait to bring this to theatres across the country."

To secure your tickets, contact the box office either by phone on 01242 258002 or book online at www.bacontheatre.co.uk