THIRTY members of the Bude Youth Theatre, aged from 9 to 15 years, will ­perform the play 'Joby' from March 31 to April 2.

The play starts 70 years ago, as storm clouds gathered over Europe and over his family life, 11-year-old Joby Weston is looking forward to the long summer holiday of August 1939. With his mother in hospital and his father pre-occupied, Joby's life becomes a rollercoaster of events, both real and fantasy, as he enjoys new freedoms and experiences during this, his last pre-war summer. Barstow's much read story of adolescent discoveries comes to life in a simple, fast and physical production to engage and entertain anyone over 8-years-old.

Bude Youth Theatre has performed 11 productions over the past 10 years in Bude. The play has been ­created by the same team that produced 'Unsinkable: the story of the Titanic' in 2004, 'The Pool of Dreams — The Story of Bude Seapool' in 2005, 'Big Nose' based on Cyrano de Bergerac in 2006 and 'Nicholas Nickleby' in 2008.

'Joby' is directed by Richard Wolfenden-Brown with choreography by Clare Collingham and musical arrangements by Matt Baker.

The production runs from Tuesday, March 31 to Thursday, April 2 at 7.30pm at the Parkhouse Centre, Bude, with a matinee on Wednesday, April 1 at 1.15pm.

The poster image is a drawing by Rhiannon Fry aged 9 of Bude Junior School. She has created the images for the last three ­productions. Stratton and Marhamchurch Primary Schools are taking a group of children to the matinee ­performance.