A county theatre company is about to tour for the third time after winning two awards with its show.

Ragged Edge Productions will be opening

The Chef Show at Bassenthwaite Parish Rooms next week before touring around the country.

The theatre company won the Rural Touring Award for Stage Performance of the Year 2018 from the National Rural Touring Forum. It then picked up a Cumbria Life Culture Award 2019 for Live Performance of the Year.

Director Stefan Escreet said: "This has all led to us presenting the show on a third national tour starting in Bassenthwaite Parish Rooms on Tuesday, May 28.

"This is particularly pleasing as this is where the idea for the play came from.

"I came up with the show after the success of a curry night in the parish hall in 2007 where I saw that the audience were really interested in the stories of the chefs who were presenting the cookery demonstration."

The play, written by Nick Ahad, is part comedy play, part cookery demonstration, Stefan said: "The Chef Show takes its audience behind the scenes on a busy Saturday night in the local curry house.

"Two actors play a cast of thousands in heroic and comic tales inspired by interviews with real people in the trade.

“It's been a delight to make a show that will be seen all around the country – in rural and urban settings. Our partnerships with local restaurants and takeaways are crucial and the enthusiasm and generosity of the owners and staff has been really encouraging.

"We are delighted to be working with some smashing chefs for our shows in Cumbria.

"Abu Sufian has worked with us before and is a very funny man, Toral Dhanaliya has recently started her business in Cockermouth and her food is delicious. "We know from previous tours that the audience will have a great night out and learn a little about the lives of people running these businesses in the community.”

The show will also be shown in Ullock, Threlkeld, Torpenhow and Muncaster. For details go to: www.raggededgeproductions.wordpress.com