A THEATRE company returns to the stage in its 21st year with a festive family show.

Badapple Theatre Company will be touring nationally until December 30 with The Snow Dancer, with a performance at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York from December 14-16.

The Snow Dancer is an original story by artistic director Kate Bramley, which in her unique style blends festive family entertainment with an important eco-message.

The Snow Dancer, starring actors Meg Matthews and Danny Mellor, with an original score by Jez Lowe, tells the story of the animals of The Great Wood, who are desperate to sleep, but it is too warm.

Designed by Catherine Dawn, the characters must search for the Snow Dancer to make it snow if they will ever get to sleep.

Badapple’s trademark original comic shows have been delighting audiences of all ages for 21 years, and have toured in rural locations around the country.

The company brings a full theatre experience to unusual, often tiny, spaces with significance to their communities. Their productions reflect world-wide issues which have an impact on village life.

Kate said: “Theatre is just storytelling and what better way to raise awareness of issues? The current climate emergency (referenced in The Snow Dancer) is something we have been concerned about for a long time.

“We want to create social discussion that’s relevant to our audiences and 21st century living. We can do this through theatre and constantly reinventing what that is: with music, sometimes dance, puppetry and on one occasion live baking!”

The current run of The Snow Dancer will see the company stage the show for two school and three public performances at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York.

More information on tour dates in the region can be found at badappletheatre.co.uk.