RED Ladder and Asian Theatre School will make their first Studio appearance at York Theatre Royal in Madani Younis's Silent Cry.

Younis will link up with the Theatre Royal's youth theatre director, Sarah Brigham, to direct a play about an Asian mother's journey beginning when her son's life ends while in police custody.

Theatre Royal artistic director Damian Cruden says: "The starting point for this new drama is the claim that between 1969 and 1999 there were more than 1,000 deaths in police custody in the UK but no police officers have been convicted in connection with any of these cases.

"This rediscovery of drama through documentary follows on from last year's premiere of David Hare's The Permanent Way at the Theatre Royal and marks a welcome return of politics to the theatre and the theatre to the political arena."

Silent Cry will be staged on September 17 and 18, and earlier that week, the Studio autumn season will open with Tall Stories Theatre Company's dramatisation of Edward Lear's The Owl And The Pussycat. Storytelling, comedy and songs will combine in this children's theatre production on September 14 to 16.

One touring show has fallen by the wayside since the autumn season brochures were printed. Out Of The Box will not be visiting York from September 23 to 25 with Paola Dionisotti's stage interpretation of Nilo Cruz's Cuban novel, Two Sisters And A Piano.

The centrepiece of the Studio season will be Damian Cruden's production of Steve Trafford's new play A Cloud In Trousers. Theatre Royal favourites Robert Pickavance and Elizabeth Mansfield will lead the cast in this co-production between Trafford and Mansfield's company, Ensemble, and the Theatre Royal.

Trafford's tragic-comedy about sex and art, politics and love, depicts the passionate and troubled mnage a trois of poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, Lili and Osop. Out in the streets, three hundred million people are changing the world in the Russian Revolution; these three are trying to change themselves, living out the revolutionary ideal of free love.

Clean Break, the theatre, education and new writing company for women with experience of the criminal justice system, will present Compact Failure, Jennifer Farmer's story of the bonds of friendship in prison, from October 26 to 28.

Ice And Fire Theatre visits the Studio on October 29 and 30 with the not-so snappily titled I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda.

"Sonja Liden's play is for those who doubt, for those who are afraid of the outside world and its differences," says Damian. "Human pain and suffering comes to life in Juliette's story, sometimes graphic and terrible but always human. We have a duty to present this work and our audience has a duty to attend."

In the aftermath of England's demise at Euro 2004, it may not be the best time to announce football is coming home to the Theatre Royal in Chris Chibnall's play Gaffer! from November 3 to 27.

The new season is but weeks away and the old enthusiasm for the beautiful game will surely return in time for this Southwark Playhouse production in association with the Theatre Royal.

Move over Roy Of The Rovers, here comes the story of no-hopers Northbridge Town and their pursuit of unlikely FA Cup success.

For brochures and tickets, ring 01904 623568.

Updated: 08:31 Friday, July 09, 2004