Hereford'S Courtyard theatre has finally secured a London transfer. It may not be to the West End, but it's no less a huge accomplishment for the fledgling company Four Play - set up by four teenagers five years ago.

There have been a couple of other occasions when in-house productions have nearly made the move, but the financial equation has always put paid to the dream.

A shuffle in the line-up sees three new members join the last founding member for this month's production of two one-act plays - Home Free and Bar and Ger.

Anthony 'Murf' Murphy feels it's important for the company to continue its legacy of putting on challenging work for the young actors - most of whom have come through the theatre's senior youth group - while giving them the opportunity to tackle leads that would otherwise elude them.

"It's about giving people chances they wouldn't usually have," he said.

Since its inception, Four Play has produced six shows, including Of Mice and Men, Equus, Bouncers and Waiting for Godot, which was first performed in the summer of 2002 and then taken to Italy for a two-night run last year.

With Matt and Luke Neal, two of the founding members, at drama school, and a third - John Read - embarking on his professional career, Four Play needed to recruit some fresh blood.

Mina Nakamura, who is directing Bar and Ger, was last seen on The Courtyard stage in the powerful part of Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

Leoni Linton and Sam Meehan, both performing arts graduates from Herefordshire College of Art and Design, are taking the roles of Lawrence and Joanna in Home Free, in addition to helping out with production and marketing. All are equally excited about the prospective tour.

Both plays, set in the late 60s/early 70s, explore the complexities of sibling relationships.

Directing Home Free amid his other priorities - running the successful Lock-Up sessions at Hereford club, The Crystal Rooms on Saturday nights and helping out with teaching the Youth Theatre - Murf insists that "although it's a bit strange when the boundaries of reality blur, there is humour".

Following the four-night run at The Courtyard (January 21-24), Four Play will transfer the production to London's Gainsborough Studios from February 12-14.