A PRE-season taster is on offer from Colne Dramatic Society as it pulls together some of the area’s best known performers for a charity play on Friday and Saturday, September 16 and 17.

Directed by Colne’s Beverly McKiernan, Love Letters by AR Gurney will be staged at the ACE Centre in aid of Cancer Research.

The unrehearsed play watches two friends, Melissa and Andrew, as they look back on their half century of friendship through a series of notes, letters and cards exchanged over the years — tracing the wild teenage years, adulthood and their recent maturity.

Joining Beverly for this production are two casts, each taking on one of the performances, with Angela Boult from Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company and The Garrick’s Alan Hargreaves on Friday, and Colne Dramatic’s Marilyn Crowther and Peter Allen from Pendle Borderline on Saturday.

Beverly said: “Through the letters, Melissa and Andrew discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats — all the events that have occurred and all the news that has passed between them throughout their separated lives.

“All profits will be presented to the local branch of Cancer Research and the performances will be dedicated to the memory of the many local performers who have lost their battle with cancer, including our much-missed friends Penny Walker, Thomas Todhunter and Arthur Chadwick.

“There will also be a raffle, tombola — and hopefully even a few charity stalls on the night, all in support of this very worthy cause.

“Be sure to book soon as demand is expected to be high on this one off event.”

Love Letters, Colne Dramatic Society, is at the ACE Centre, Nelson on September 16 and 17, 7.30pm. Tickets £7, £6.50 concessions, from the ACE Centre for cash payments or by sending a cheque to Colne Dramatic Society, with SAE, CDS, 102 Knotts Lane, Colne, BB8 8AE.