AFTER hitting the jackpot at Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot at York, the fish-filleting foursome of Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda are celebrating in style with the trip of a lifetime in Ladies Down Under.

Given the success of Amanda Whittington's Ladies Day, at Hull Truck and on tour at York Theatre Royal, a sequel was a racing cert.

"While the show ran at Hull Truck, we started talking about doing it, simply because the reaction was so strong, as everyone really enjoyed the characters, and the end of the play, where they won the money, really seemed like the start of another story, " says Amanda.

"All the actors felt there was more to discover in the characters, and then when Ladies Day went out on tour and became such a hit, I thought, 'oh, what have I started here?'" There was to be no turning back. A sequel would be delivered, and Amanda knew what she didn't want, just as much as much as what she did want.

"I already knew I had to take it to another place, not just do Ladies Day 2 but take it further while still having the comedy and the drama, " she says.

In fact, Amanda took it as far away from Hull as she could: to the other side of the world in Australia. "There's more at stake for the characters now and that's what was interesting for me as a writer, " she says.

"The premise we have for this show is like it was in Ladies Day, where we plonked them at the Royal Ascot races. Now we're taking them across the world, and without the money they won, they would never have had the chance to do that.

"Again it's true that people reveal themselves more when they're away from the home.

Because they're in Australia for a month, they're on a journey not just in terms of big distances, but also because it's a journey of huge contrasts. So they end up in a completely different place to where they started, and they can't help but be profoundly changed by what they see and what happens."

Shelley may dream of luxury hotels and glamour but the Hull gang decide to go back to basics and camp out under the stars on a journey that will take them from Ayers Rock to the bright lights of Sydney.

"Being in Australia allows them to make a big, epic journey in the play, " says Amanda. "Each character has a life-changing experience one way or another? and you can't really do that on a day at the races!"

Ladies Down Under, Hull Truck Theatre, tonight until May 5.

Box office: 01482 323638.