UNEVENTFUL lives are changed forever by the arrival of a mystery man.

The Apollo Theatre is delighted to be starting its 49th season of plays with Ladies in Lavender, an emotionally-charged play set in Cornwall in the mid 1930s.

Elderly sisters Ursula and Janet, who live a quiet life together close to the Cornish coast, have their world changed and challenged by the arrival of Andrea, a young Polish man they discover on the beach.

He has been washed ashore after a shipwreck and as they nurse him back to health they learn he was on his way to a new life in America, and that he is a gifted violinist.

The stage play, exploring the deep emotions underpinning ordinary lives, was adapted from Charles Dance’s screenplay of the film of the same name starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

The cast are Glenys Lloyd Williams (Ursula), Carole Crow (Janet), Alex Howe (Andrea), Cheryl May (Dorcas), Paul Stevens (Dr Mead) and Abbi Leverton (Olga). 

The director is Gwen Stevens.

Ladies in Lavender will be staged at the Apollo Theatre from September 17 to 25 (except the Sunday and Monday) at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from ticketsource.co.uk/apollotheatre/ladies-in-lavender/e-gvodge or from the box office on 01983 210010.