LANCASHIRE'S rural communities are in for a treat this autumn with an array of national and international shows coming right to their doorsteps.

Spot On Lancashire has announced its new season of rural touring featuring live theatre, music, dance, children’s shows and even some Tibetan Monks.

Running from September 3 until December 21, the season marks 20 years since Spot On first began taking professional shows to isolated rural communities. There will also be shows in 11 Lancashire County Council libraries for the first time as part of the brand new Spot On Libraries scheme, supported by Arts Council England.

Tibetan Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery are arguably the most intriguing show of the season and they travel to Whalley, Lytham St. Annes and Barnoldswick in September.

Nelson Library will host Metamorphosis on September 30, an Icelandic show featuring beautifully crafted puppets for ages six and above, in partnership with Skipton Puppet Festival.

The jam-packed theatre schedule will see seven different shows on offer right across Lancashire featuring Maxine Peake’s charming and critically acclaimed play Beryl in Lytham St. Annes. The play is based on the life of cycling legend Beryl Burton and will be performed at Lowther Pavilion on September 23 with an additional dementia- friendly matinee planned that afternoon.

There will be two dance companies visiting Lancashire , including SpiltMilk’s Blast From The Past, in Samlesbury and Cliviger. The Samlesbury show will also be a celebration of Spot On’s 20th birthday, so audiences are encouraged to book well in advance to avoid missing out on the festivities.

Blackburn is the location for an intriguing new piece of work called The Last Supper, with audiences invited to dinner as stories are told featuring the last words of the famous, not so famous, criminals, victims and heroes in a truly one-off experience.

Speaking in the build-up to the season, Spot On’s scheme manager, Sue Robinson, said: “We're really pleased to be celebrating Spot On's twentieth birthday this season. The network has grown immensely and all our promoters have done fine work in enabling local people to have a great night out. We've even got twenty companies performing this season. We started out in 1995 with just nine shows. This season it’s a bumper edition, with 11 libraries joining us too, thanks to a grant from the Arts Council."

Tickets for all the shows are on sale now and can be purchased through promoters at each venue. The full season programme is available at www.spotonlancashire.co.uk. Alternatively you can email hello@spotonlancashire.co.uk or call 01254 660360 for full details.