This coming Friday, 33 French students who have been taking part in drama workshops at Shanklin Theatre will be performing Checkmate, a musical written by David Redston and Dominic Pope.

Alain Flechais tells us that this Theatre Workshop is the 101th of its kind, based on an original idea which started 17 years ago with a French school in the west suburbs of Paris.

Since then it has been developed and so successful that Shanklin theatre with the Spotight company is now host to about ten of these workshops a year.

All are invited to Friday’s performance of Checkmate, it’s free of charge and takes place at noon at Shanklin Theatre.