A NEW comedy play by Sandi Toksvig arrives in the Lake District this month, shortly after its world premiere.

Silver Lining comes to the Theatre by the Lake, in Keswick, from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25, after its run at the Rose Theatre in Kingston-upon-Thames.

The play follows five elderly ladies on a dark and stormy night trapped in the upper day room of the Silver Retirement Home with storm floods rising and no rescue in sight.

The ladies, faced with the sudden realisation that in order to survive they are going to have to do it themselves, share stories of their remarkable lives and together plot The Great Escape – senior citizen-style.

The play is written by the inimitable Sandi Toksvig, an acclaimed writer, actor, presenter and political activist.

Her previous writing for the stage includes the musical Big Night Out at the Little Sands Picture Palace and The Pocket Dream.

Until last year she was the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and since October 2016 has taken the reigns from Stephen Fry as the host of BBC television quiz show QI.

She is the joint founder of the Women’s Equality Party which was established in March 2015.

Other well-recognised company members include Sheila Reid, who plays the chirpy leopard-print-onesie-wearing character, Gloria. Although celebrated for her impressive stage career, she is perhaps best known for her role as Madge in ITV comedy Benidorm, appearances in Call the Midwife and parts in Doctor Who.

The cast also includes Theo Toksvig-Stewart, making his professional stage debut, Rachel Davies, Keziah Josephs, Maggie McCarthy, Joanna Monro, and Amanda Walker.

Rebecca Gatward, who directs Silver Lining, has an impressive theatrical CV including The Night Watch, The Comedy Of Errors, and The Canterbury Tales directed in partnership with Greg Doran and Jonathan Munby for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and her work for television includes EastEnders.

The production is co-produced by English Touring Theatre and Rose Theatre Kingston.

The show runs from Tuesday March 21 to Saturday 25, at 7.30pm each night, with 2pm matinee shows on the Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets are available from the venue's box office .