A PLAY by Adrian Mole creator Sue Townsend will be the debut performance by a new professional theatre company.

Staged in a church hall and with a real jumble sale in the interval, Wanstead Theatre Company will stage Sue Townsend's Bazaar & Rummage to mark the play's 40th anniversary.

Bazaar & Rummage was first performed on stage at the Royal Court Theatre in 1982 ~ the same year that its writer, Sue Townsend, created The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾.

The play is a tale of a group of agoraphobics who decide to embark on self-help by staging a jumble sale.

A do-gooder, Gwenda (Fiona Gordon), a trainee social worker, Fliss (Jessica Flood), and three agoraphobics (Susan Harrison, Clare Samuels & Sajeela Kershi) are persuaded to venture out of their homes to hold the sale in their local church hall.

The production will recreate the 1980s with the decade's songs, fashions and a real jumble sale during the interval.

For an authentic 1980s feel, chicken-in-a-basket (or veggie alternative) will be served.

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Centre in Cambridge Park, Wanstead has donated its church hall to the new theatre company's debut production, creating the perfect site-specific location.

Rarely performed professionally, Sue Townsend's estate has not only granted Wanstead Theatre Company the rights to the performance, but was so delighted with its involvement in the community that it did so for free.

The company's creator, Fiona Gordon, said: "Coming along to the show will be a night out, and right now, people need to laugh!"

With Wanstead Theatre Co, Fiona brought together a cast of professional actors from Wanstead, where she has lived for 10 years. She said: "Wanstead has everything! Except for a professional theatre company.

"So, with the encouragement and support of the Wanstead Fringe over the years with productions like The Secret Garden, The Railway Children, and We Must Throw The Cows Down the Ravine, I realised that our community is full of creative talent and residents who love theatre."

Performances will run today (Saturday) and on April 28, 29 and 30 at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 2pm.

Tickets cost £20 to £25, with a group discount of eight or more adults for £23 each. Visit https://www.wansteadtheatreco.com/box-office