AUTUMN mists make way for cotton-wool white clouds and blue skies on the new brochure cover, heralding a new year of drama, dance and music at York Theatre Royal.

After a hatful of premieres in 2003, 2004 opens with another, this time a new adaptation of Melvin Burgess's cult novel, Bloodtide, by resident company Pilot Theatre in the main house from February 12 to 21.

Adapted and directed by Marcus Romer, in a co-production with the Theatre Royal, it tells a futuristic story of betrayal, passion and the corrupting nature of power in the world of genetics, with echoes of Shakespeare's Macbeth. This will be another of Pilot's shows with particular appeal for younger audiences, as Theatre Royal artistic director Damian Cruden highlights.

"Many young people have read this book and Melvin Burgess is such a good writer for teenagers," he says.

"It's a challenging piece for Marcus to adapt and direct and for the company to stage, and it will be great to have a new work in the main theatre, rather than new works being ghettoised in The Studio. We want people to come out and try it, and if you are under 25 or in full-time education, a ticket costs £3.50 - that has to be worth the risk.

"The exciting thing is that we're taking a risk, and the audience is taking a risk, and as with all Marcus Romer's work, it will be punchy, visually stimulating and exciting."

Damian will direct the main-house repertory production of the season ahead, a revival of Shelagh Delaney's 1958 kitchen-sink drama, A Taste Of Honey, from March 16 to April 3. Premiered when Delaney was only 19, this gritty urban drama of working-class Manchester girl Jo, 16, and her irresponsible mother, Helen, stars Katherine Dow Blyton as the mother. "People remember it as a kitchen-sink, black-and-white film, and while it has elements of that, it is a theatrical drama. It's beautifully written, tender, sad, funny in places with two wonderful female roles. A classic," says Damian.

In The Studio from February 12 to March 6, Damian directs Barbara Marten in Mike Kenny's one-woman show, Caitlin, a new study of the stormy relationship between the poet Dylan Thomas and his wife Caitlin. And touring highlights include the debut visit of Birmingham Royal Ballet on April 20 and 21; Phoenix Dance In 04, March 8 to 10; and the Oxford Stage Company in a 50th anniversary production of Brendan Behan's amusing Irish prison drama, The Quare fellow, directed by actress Kathy Burke, from April 6 to 10.

In the Studio, Nick Lane follows up his Theatre Royal production of Beauty And The Beast with his story-telling adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, from April 1 to 24. Elizabeth Mansfield directs Productions in Leon Rosselson's magical tale of The Greatest Drummer In The World from March 9 to 13; and learning disabilities theatre group The Shysters make their Theatre Royal debut in the fateful love story Tango Apocalypso on March 18 and 19.

For tickets and brochures, ring 01904 623568.

Updated: 09:49 Friday, November 21, 2003