The opening play of the new season at the Forum Studio Theatre in Chester will be Tip Top Productions’ Steel Magnolias which opens on Thursday, September 17.

Consistently performed on stage since 1987 and made famous by the film starring Dolly Parton, the play is set during the 1980s in rural Louisiana.

It begins on the day that young Shelby is to be married to her fiancé Jackson and at her side in the beauty parlour/hair salon are her leading ladies: her mother M’Lynn, glamour technicians in the salon Truvy and Annelle, grumpy old neighbour Ouiser and Mayor’s wife Claire.

These women stick together for the months and years to come. They share all the laughter as well as tears of sorrow.

It is essentially a play about a bond of friendship that ties a very eclectic group of women and it is also notable for its empowering vision of middle class women in America.

It revels in some great one liners, with all the male characters kept strictly functional and makes a shameless bid for your heart aiming to have you smiling one moment, sniffling the next.

Directed by Tip Top regular Gail Young, it has some new members making their debut for the group, notably Philippa Bona (Annelle) and Annabel Johnson (Shelby).

Bookings for this show and all other shows at the Forum Studio Theatre can be done online at chestertheatre.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01244 341296 Tuesday-Friday between 10am-1pm.