ONE of the leading theatre companies in the country will be at The Courtyard on Saturday, October 6, with a striking adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic Nicholas Nickleby, the timeless story of the victory of idealistic youth over cynical authority.

Red Shift, an inventive and committed company acclaimed for its vital and exciting direction, has relocated the action to the 1950s, a time when the respectable faade of an authoritarian society was in tatters.

Adapted by Jonathan Holloway with an eclectic score composed by Jon Nicholls, this stage version of Nicholas Nickleby is influenced by classic rock'n'roll and the golden age of the wireless. The cast of seven even double up as a live skiffle band.

Nicholas Nickleby will be at The Courtyard on Saturday, October 6 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Edgar Street Box Office on 01432 359252 and Tourist Information Centres in Hereford, Ledbury, Leominster and Ross on Wye.