RIDING Lights, the Christian independent theatre company from York, is on the road with its autumn tour of Friendly Fire.

This new play by Riding Lights stalwart Nigel Forde is touring nationwide from September 15 to December 9, including 11 dates at the company's headquarters at the Friargate Theatre, Lower Friargate, York.

Friendly Fire is based on the true story of Robert Lockyer, an ordinary trooper in Oliver Cromwell's revolutionary army who follows his general into the chaotic savagery of the English Civil War. Already in love with the daughter of a Royalist, Lockyer faces the most unexpected conflict of all when his ideals begin to reach beyond the limit of Cromwell's brave new world and a family secret explodes out of the past to haunt him.

Forde's play asks a series of questions: What happens when our convictions - and our callings - clash irreconcilably with those of our neighbours? How do we know who is right? Who ends up making the ultimate sacrifice?

The tour of Friendly Fire follows similarly long autumn travels by Riding Lights in 1999 with Balancing Act and 1998 with A Different Drum.

That year, incidentally, Nigel Forde was nominated for a BAFTA and won an EMMY Award for his script-writing for the animated television series of Testament. This year, he was the scriptwriter for Channel 4's ALT.TV Play In A Week.

Friendly Fire will be staged at the Friargate Theatre on October 9 to 11, 16 to 21 and 23 and 24 at 7.30pm nightly. Tickets: £7.50, unwaged £5; ring 0845 961 3000.