ROWNTREE Players are off to the coast next week for their first production of the new season at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York.

The choice of play is Sandcastles, a seaside story by Bob Larbey, a writer for radio, television and stage, who was the co-author of The Good Life, Please Sir and Ever Decreasing Circles.

In Sandcastles, three couples meet up every year for their beach-hut holiday but this year the Woodersons have not come. The Pattersons (Frank Higgins and Sheila O'Donnell) and the Billets (Jim Hammond, Chris Swann) are concerned to hear that the Woodersons' beach hut has been rented to a newcomer.

This new face turns out to be Frank (Andy Welch), who not only is young and brash but also has two attractive young women (Sophie Bernstein and Lucy Knowles) with him.

Problems and misunderstandings follow quickly. Stan Billet, already coping with a cantankerous mum (Doris Parker) and an eccentric beachcomber (Peter Major), now finds himself confronted by the beach-hut invasion force of three aggressive North Country women (Lyn Marsh, Chris Rigg, Jill Pearson).

As if there were not enough, Mrs Billet's young sister, Pauline (Kate Newall), starts to demonstrate her independence, and a couple of trespassers (Gill Barker, Samantha McIntyre) cause havoc with a kite.

Doris Yorke's cast includes three members of Rowntree Players' Young Pretenders group who gained the Adjudicators' Special Award at this year's Harrogate Junior Drama Festival: Sophie Bernstein, Lucy Knowles and Samantha McIntyre.

Doris Parker will be making her first appearance with the Players, although she is an experienced performer, mainly in musical shows, including Gilbert & Sullivan. In addition, she is the mother of Caroline Parker, who has played many leading roles for York Light Opera Society.

Sandcastles, with its recollections of the joys, trials and tribulations of the family seaside holiday, will be staged from October 4 to 6 at 7.30pm.

Tickets: from £5; ring York Theatre Royal box office, 01904 623568.