THE Phoenix Theatre Company in Ross-on-Wye present the seminal classic of Australian drama, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler.

Roo and his mate Barney, two swaggering cane-cutters from Queensland, have flown south to Melbourne for the past 16 years to spend the summer lay-off with their girlfriends Olive and Nancy. However, in this the 17th summer of the relationship, Nancy is gone ‘married to a city fellow’ and is replaced by Pearl, who remarks “You’re like a pair of eagles swooping down for the mating season’. Will Pearl be able to live up to the expectations of the others and fill the void that Nancy has left behind?

Packed with energetic and direct language coupled with a wry humour arising largely from Barney’s amoral approach to life the play brings a breath of freshness to the stage.

The show opens on Saturday, and runs until Saturday, June 4. Tickets are available from Rossiter Books on 01989 564464 or online at ticketsource.co.uk/thephoenixtheatre.