RIBCHESTER Amateur Theatrical Society (RATS) is back on June 29 with a production telling the story of the turbulent times of the suffragette movement through the stories of local characters.

'Deeds Not Words' was the suffragettes' most famous slogan, denoting active protest rather than passive acceptance - and is the name of the play to be staged outdoor at the Ribchester Arms.

It will also include scenes along Stydd Lane to the recently restored St Saviour's Church at Stydd.

The suffragette movement was born in 1903 and the fight for Votes for Women' began in earnest, lasting until the 1920s.

Audiences will witness local ladies chained to railings and working class women leaving their homes and families to pursue their belief in the cause'.

They will hear the harrowing accounts of the treatment in prison under the infamous Cat and Mouse Act.

The production is another original piece devised by the society using research from the local area.

Produced and directed by Viki Mason, the cast includes Keith Flood, Rebecca Parkinson, Deb Groves, Bryony Frost, Anne Rogerson, Chris Parkinson, Charlotte Green, Will Thomas, Jean Skilbeck, Sue Cronshaw and Judy Mallam.

Ribchester Amateur Theatrical Society's Deeds Not Words is at the Ribchester Arms on Thursday June 29 to Saturday July 1 at 8pm. Tickets are £5 by calling 01254 878881.