Actors from a Lancashire theatre company won't be caught on the hop with their 30th annual production.
'The Frog Prince' is being brought to the stage by the Brindle Players from tonight, with added puppets.
Cast members from Blackburn and across Central Lancashire are tackling the Grimm fairy tale with performances at St Joseph's Parish Hall in Hoghton.
The company can trace its history back to 1994, when theatre lovers established the players as a way of uniting church groups in the Brindle, Gregson Lane and Hoghton areas.
But the last 12 months has seen the outfit really take off, staging its first production, Knight Fever, as NODA (National Operatice and Dramatic Association) members, garnering 12 nominations and four prizes at the recent district awards in Blackburn
Anne Hardman, their chair, said: "A Brindle Players production is a real community celebration with children and adults drawn from all over the area working together to create the show.
"The cast and production team come from Blackburn, Croston, Chorley, Leyland and Preston as well as closer to our theatrical home at St Joseph’s.
"To be recognised by our fellow amateur theatre societies for the excellence we strive for is a real honour and we’ve been blown away by the nominations and subsequent awards.”
The latest production focuses on the adventures of Prince Norman, who is turned into a frog just as he is about to inherit his ailing father's kingdom.
Anne herself has come up with costumes for the entire 35-strong cast and her daughter, artistic director Katie Hardman, has hand-crafted two full size puppets and four hand puppets for the play.
Behind the scenes support has been exceptional with The Magic Circle offering advice on illusions, Bolton Octagon and The Kirkgate in Cockermouth lending a hand with Regency costumes and Samlesbury Hall was given up as a photographic backdrop for the show.
Tickets for the LazyBee production, courtesy of writer Andrew O'Leary, running tonight, Saturday and Sunday, then February 21 and 22 at the parish hall from 7.30pm, are available on the company's Ticketsource website. Matinees on the Saturdays and Sundays are also running at 2.30pm.
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