A Workington theatre group will pay tribute to its former chairman by staging a play he loved.

The Workington Playgoers club will perform its own take of Under Milk Wood at The Theatre Royal next week.

The Dylan Thomas play was a favourite of Peter Inglis, former chairman of the club who died in November last year.

Laurie Mansfield, director, said: "In August of last year I got an email from Peter saying he wanted to suggest Under Milk Wood for the Playgoers to perform in February. It was one of his favourite plays and he asked if I could direct it. I said it sounded quite a challenge but I was really interested.

"We're all aware the stimulus of us doing this play came from Peter and we want to make it good and make sure that people understand it. It's a play where you need to be able to sit there and listen, that's what he'll have liked about it. Some of it sounds a bit obscure and that's the language Dylan Thomas uses - sometimes he uses words because of the way they sound and their rhythm and how it works in the speech."

The play, which the BBC broadcast on the radio in 1954, captures 24 hours in the lives of the inhabitants of a small Welsh seaside village.

The two narrators will be impersonated by Morgan Sweeney and Alison Shutt and Captain Cat will be brought to life by Geoffrey Hall. But the play counts 72 characters, and the 17-strong cast will take on the challenge to impersonate them all.

Laurie said: "This isn't a play like most. Any play I ever directed you worry about the cast knowing their lines and them knowing where to be on stage. This isn't the case for this play, the actors have their lines and the movement is essentially only coming forward to speak the lines.

"The cast are still laughing at the play because it's very funny and that is a tribute to Dylan Thomas."

The show will be performed at the Theatre Royal from Thursday, February 22, until Saturday, February 24.

Performances start at 7.30pm each day. Tickets cost £11, concessions £10, and can be bought at www.theatre-royal-workington.co.uk.